So Emotional
by Miztical-Dragon
Summary: Life had been easy when it was just him and his work. He didn't have to care about anyone besides him, his pleasure and that's how he liked it. Throw in some family drama & a mysterious girl and his easy life becomes a Soap opera that he never saw coming
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own anything here besides the plot…. **

_Well this story is a spin off my story FACE DOWN, you don't have to read it in order to understand it, but I figured I'd let you know. _

**So Emotional --**_**Christina Aguilera**_

By Miztikal-Dragon

_Part One _

Hospitals had always been a cold place to him, the clicks of the industrial sized air conditioning units turning on and off, the sharp smell of sanitation and of sickness like a wafting perfume so strong he could taste it on his tongue. He had never really cared for hospitals because to him they were a place of weakness, a place of death and since he was neither dying nor weak it was not a place he belonged to. It seemed however; that his presence was needed and so he visited this place of steady beeps and dings, of melancholy chatter and sometimes, horrified and pain-filled screams. He guessed it was more really the vast plains of emotions that he hated. The wailing and screaming, barking of orders and rapidly beating hearts from the Emergency Room; patient's family and friends sitting anxiously waiting for a doctor whose eyes could only hold sadness. Or the infectious laughter, hoots and hollers, and faint smell of cigar smoke that came from the beginning of a new life.

To him, all of it was just so unnecessary and thus the emotional roller coaster ride called a hospital was insignificant. He was healthy, relatively happy (as happy as someone like him could be), and very successful, so hospitals were simply another annoyance that gave the government another pathetic excuse to dig into his pockets and take his hard earned paycheck in order to support to the poor. Despite the surprisingly good looks he was graced with from birth, those thoughts were his true ugliness and he hid them deep in his chest and the only thing showing his distaste was the flick of his perceptive eyes.

The worst part was although they were his personal thoughts, they were completely irrelevant to the situation at hand. His expensive shoes made the usual steady clip-clop against the hard tile floor of the hospital hallway, the sound drowning out all others for him as his cold eyes flicked over the numbers on the walls designating the room numbers. Today he was needed for counsel and though he was not known to be a generous man, or a caring man, his knowledge was without charge. Never would he work pro-bono, nor was he court appointed, it was beneath him--hell, it was beneath the dirt beneath him; it was for his family.

Grant it, his brother wasn't really family either, just some bastard off spring of his late father, yet he was not the kind to abandon family over a possible homicide charge. Okay so maybe it wasn't exactly his younger half brother who was currently being 'investigated' (if you could use the word that loosely) for self-defense/homicide, it was his little rag doll girlfriend. However, it was his brother who somehow dragged himself into the mess that she had created and now, like always, he was being forced to clean up after him. What a waste of his already valuable time.

The only thing he approved of for this "visit" was that the nursing staff had the intelligence to move both his half brother and his girlfriend to proper rooms. He would not stand trying to discuss anything of this important in an open ICU for any eager eavesdropping, bedridden person or hospital employee hearing something they shouldn't and having it leaked later. Sure there were police officers accompanying them; Nonetheless, state employees could be bought out, or out ranked; the vermin which crawled in the hospitals were a completely different race of trash and he would give no one the chance at tainting his father's good name with filth and rumors.

Carelessly, he glanced one last time at the room number written on the piece of paper in his hand to be a hundred percent sure he was going in the right direction. It made him remember another reason why he disliked hospitals--nothing about them made any sense. Whomever had been in charge of numbering the rooms had to have been a complete idiot and he touched the bridge of his nose with irritation feeling an oncoming migraine begin to creep into the back of his mind. This was a waste of his precious time, he didn't want to be there finding a way to get his pathetic brother out of trouble, and though he had no choice in the matter, once he healed completely, he would kill his half brother.

The soft urgent vibration coming from his pant pocket stopped him and slowly he dragged out the sleek cell phone demanding his attention and flipped it open. He didn't have to read it to know whom had sent the enveloped text message; there was only one person he knew who dared to do such besides his younger brother and it made his head throb slightly. Of course she picked now as the right time to bother him.

_'Stuck in meeting with Phelps_

_and Hitomi, won't be able to _

_make dinner. Rain check'_

-Kagura-

His eyes skimmed over the message and immediately felt his migraine begin to recede. Unimportant and obviously something that could have waited, yet it meant that he didn't have to tell her later that her company made him sick to his stomach. The woman was a good attorney, he'd give her that, the way her sharp eyes hunted down her opponents weakness. She was vicious and when her lips quirked into that plotting smile she had, it made his blood boil to dominate her in everyway he could. She knew exactly what she wanted and how to take it, leaving many poor unsuspecting fools to be caught up in her intricate web, but he was not some fool. He knew how her mind worked and he used it to his advantages, he spared her no humiliation at her expense when showing her her place and still she came back for more.

It was all a game of chess, a battle strategy to see who would come out the victor and he had yet to lose to her. She was a good attorney, there was no lying there, but all the same, he was better and had no problem standing up to it and knocking her down the pegs she struggled to climb up. It was all about who was the best, who came out on top and though it made him smile to torture her so, there was no point in denying the obvious.

With the push of his thumb the message was delete and he slipped the piece of metal technology back into his pant pocket, he had better things to do than indulge Kagura's need for attention. He'd rather help his brother than try stomaching another five minutes with the conceited witch. That done, he turned down into another hallway weaving gracefully between people and gurneys, nurses and doctors rushing by. Why they felt the need to get in his way he had no idea, maybe they had lost their minds, though he paid no heed to them as he spotted the room number that matched his slip of paper. Crumbling it in his hand, he tossed it over his shoulder not caring who saw him and glanced at the dry erase board that had the names "Takahara, InuYasha and Higurashi, Kagome" scribbled on it in almost illegible chicken scratch handwriting.

Like many gunshot victims being investigated, if the suspect (or victim) in question was hospitalized, especially in his brother's case, there should have been a police office or two present either outside or right inside the hospital room so as nothing, or no one could tamper with them in any way. Although, unlike normal hospitals rules and regulations, the door was left slightly ajar, not a single body watching the outside and opening the door, the light slinking in like a dark shadow, there seemed to be no one watching from the outside.

His migraine was coming back with a vengeance now and frowning angrily, his manicured hand flicked over the switch, fluorescent lights blossoming overhead and illuminating the decent sized room. Why was he even surprised that there would be nothing? He could have been an angry henchman of Naraku's slipping into their room to dish out their own kind of vengeance. He could have been anybody and it was safe to say that he would have to make a phone call to straighten things out, or begin the paperwork for a lawsuit.

Movement caught his eye and for the faintest moment he wondered if he had been seeing things. Maybe his migraine was finally getting to him and he was hallucinating. He held his breath for a moment, listening to the sounds around him, both Kagome and InuYasha appeared to be deep asleep, the soft beeping of machines hooked up to his brother's bed, the television rigged up on the wall between the two hospital beds playing some television program minus the sound. He was looking for something out of place, something that didn't belong and it took him a few long moments to pin point it. When he did, he glared in the direction hoping it would burst into flames.

"I know you're there," he said into the silence, his shoes tapping irritably against the tile. "Show yourself."

"Shhh," a soft voice hushed in reply and he saw the bobbing head of black.

He refused to be hushed by anyone and with two long strides he crossed the room to shut off the television, though only managed to changed the channel, glaring daggers at the intruder hiding on the opposite side of his brothers hospital bed. He had been expecting a younger child, maybe ten or twelve, possibly a boy, boys were known to go around and wander, but what greeted him wasn't what he was expecting.

"Aww man, now I'll never know what happens!" She appeared to be in her late teens, early twenties, her long jet black hair flat against her head like she had been denied a shower for a few days. Pale skin peeked out of the oversized hospital gown she wore, her shoulder slipping through the hole meant for her neck and sliding down. His eyes wandered, her long legs folded on the floor, one of her tiny feet covered in a gray hospital issued sock, the other laying off to the side covered in a large and awkward yellow cast.

"What are you doing in here?" His mind took a second or two to restart itself as his gaze drifted to her face. She wasn't the prettiest girl he'd ever seen; in fact, she was quite plain in appearance, but it was here eyes that stood out.

"Oh, fuck--I mean jeez I'm sorry," she gushed attempting to scramble to her feet, the yellow cast making it slightly more difficult. "I didn't know they were expecting company.. I--uh, well you see--"

If he had been in his right mind he would have let her fall and he blamed his temporary lapse of judgment on her overly expressive light brown eyes as the culprit. Her hand had wrapped around the pole that had held her IV trying to right herself as she stepped around him. There was a deep red blush coating her cheeks, pushing out the creamy paleness of her skin that had instantly demanded his attention and when her casted foot slipped out from underneath her barely two steps away from him, his initial reaction had been to reach out to her.

Her flesh was cold to the touch, all the same it filled him with a burning heat and a jolt of electricity. Like everything about her, it took him by surprise and though he had the urge to jerk away and let her continue to fall, his arms were heavy and he couldn't get them to cooperate.

His hands seemed to cradle her back, his long fingertips clutching the back of her hospital gown, a single digit slipping underneath innocently touching her pale skin. He had felt this kind of pull before only once, the first time he had been with Kagura, while like the wind she seemed to reflect most, it quickly blew away. That feeling though, had purely been lust for the cunning prosecuting attorney and this new alien version was different, it had to be.

"Oh my cheese crackers," she whispered softly, her small hands clenching the arms of his long-sleeved shirt to help support herself.

He watched the way her lips parted, her delicate tongue dipping out to moisten them and the heat in him stirred again. They weren't overly large he noticed; not pouty or luscious, but he decided that they could be coaxed to be such. They had the ability and mentally he deemed them very kissable. "You're on the television."

Her words shocked him instantly back into reality and turning his head to look over his shoulder at the hanging television he righted himself, his hold lingering as he pulled her closer. She wasn't lying when she said he was on the television and he hadn't believed she was; the news reporter's mouth moving with silent motion as words danced at the bottom of the screen. He knew what it was about, his cold, yet distinguished features playing on the screen as other field reporters yelled questions at him, hoping for information on his 'client'. It made him scowl, how quickly it went almost instantly on air, but then again, news was called such for a reason and he didn't hate them for it. Just their pathetic method of collecting it.

"This room is restricted," he ignored her comment and pulled himself from her grasp, his hand brushing his sleeves to erase the wrinkles now on them. "What are you doing in here?"

"Well-I, you see--" light red stained the bridge of her nose and cheeks, her hand nervously rubbing the back of her neck and though he tried to glare daggers at her, he knew that it wasn't as cold as he would have liked it to be.

She lapsed into silence, her teeth chewing on her lower lip, her eyebrows scrunching close together as her mind no doubt raced to find an answer. He didn't tape his shoe on the tile this time, didn't curl his hand onto his hip like others would have and he wouldn't; those actions showed more emotion than he needed to bring across what he needed to say. Silently, he waited.

"I was just looking for a place to chill out," she decided, her eyes watching his almost curiously. "I mean, I hate being stuck in the children's ward and they all just kept screaming and running around and I mean normally I'm cool with it, but I guess I just needed some me time.."

Her words ran together as though she were trying to make them into one large statement. "And I'd been originally in the waiting room, you know, but the nurses wouldn't leave me alone so I saw this room on my way back to the children's ward and I thought 'it's empty, what the hell'.. I mean I wasn't noisy and I didn't mean to cause trouble--I'm sorry I'll go now---Just if a nurse comes looking for me, I wasn't here.."

"Why?" He had never been interested before when someone wanted to go on a rant, or in her case run out of the room screaming blood murder, but it slipped out of his mouth before he control the urge and tuck it away in the back of his head.

"Um--well," he saw the moisture build up in her eyes before she forced her gaze to her yellow plastered leg. "Technically I'm still a ward of the state until next month."

Ward of the state? She was underage? Where were her parents? Why wasn't the hospital staff keeping a closer eye on her? These were questions that zipped by in his mind, swirling and twisting demanding his immediate attention and an answer. He didn't want to know about her, didn't want to care that she looked like she was getting ready to cry in front of him. Why was he behaving differently than he always had? What made this slip of a girl suddenly important? Did his body know something that his mind was refusing to acknowledge?

"You two shouldn't be in here!" A gruff voice boomed making his ears ring and irritably he switched his gaze from the girl in front of him to the uniformed officer entering the room, the golden badge catching the light and trying to blind him. "This room is off limits, you need to leave."

"I will be doing no such thing," this was enough of wasting time, he had things to do and he was not going to be delayed any further. "I am Attorney Sesshomaru Takahara, I am representing my brother and Miss Higurashi."

The officer sputtered for a moment, his eyes wide and angry before jabbing his finger in the girl's direction like a second grader throwing a tantrum. "Well that might be so, but she is not permitted to be here."

"Agreed," Sesshomaru spoke coldly, his fingers around her bicep and pulling her close. "And I'll be taking her back to her room now. When I return I expect someone to be doing their job and stay outside the room."

Sesshomaru didn't wait for the officer's reply; instead, he carefully guided the underage girl from the room and down the hall towards the elevator. He couldn't begin to understand his motive or why he was actually taking this mere child back to the children's wad. None of the nursing staff, or doctors batted an eyelash as he slowly twisted and turned, his steps a few in front of his companions, yet not fast enough to trip her.

Safe behind the closed doors of the elevator he felt her relax, her shoulders dropping, the thin material of the hospital gown slipping down her arm. If he had been any less of a decent man, he could have easily seen down the front, exposing his eyes to the slight swell of her breasts: however she was nothing but a child so he refused himself a glance down.

"Rin," she spoke as the elevator dinged, her shoulders straightening and her hand clenching around the pole holding her IV, her head lifting just slightly.

The doors opened and easily she stepped out, blocking his exit. Her hand left the pole and met with the other, clasping together in front of her as she bowed; her hair touching her knees before she straightened herself, her light brown eyes staring at him almost mischievously. The look froze him in his spot, seemingly disarming him and yet he knew her eyes weren't reflecting true happiness that would have made them sparkle like diamonds as the doors closed engulfing him once again in silence.

"Rin," he let the name roll off his lips, critiquing the sound of it as tough he could efficiently analyze her from it.

He didn't like the new way the cogs in his brain worked as he drank the last half hour fully in. There was something about her he couldn't quite put his fingers on, something that screamed for more and he couldn't figure it out. She wasn't his type, that was for sure. She appeared fragile, emotional, and young. That, of course, was without registering that she obviously wasn't even an adult in the eyes of the court.

What exactly was his type, he wondered glaring angrily and coldly at anyone and everyone who tried to catch his gaze. He was no longer in the mood to think such thoughts and he went as far as to put them away, though they didn't stay gone for too long.

"Yo!" He heard his brother InuYasha call out, his amber eyes staring at him. "I saw you on the news last night."

"Of course," Sesshomaru said icily glaring at the officer who tried following him into the hospital room. "Privacy please, I must speak with my client."

The uniformed officer looked like a spitting cat as Sesshomaru shut the door in his face. If looks could kill, he thought to himself as he pulled a chair next to his brother's bed and seated himself. "I will not help you out of another mess like this InuYasha. Learn some control."

That darkened InuYasha's mood and he growled underneath his breath, a few choice words leaving his slightly parted lips. Sesshomaru didn't care, he would help his brother because it was what his father would have wanted; that and it would not help Sesshomaru's reputation if InuYasha, or his little girlfriend were arrested. Even if on false charges.

He doubted it would get that far though, even the state attorney general had agreed that it was self defense. There was nothing to question besides the excess force Kagome had used pulling the trigger to the gun which killed Naraku. One bullet was easy to explain, six was a little more complicated. All they were waiting on was Kagome's side and then the case could be properly closed; All the same, she too was making it a little more difficult to end this masquerade.

She was healthy, her bruises and fractures had healed, stitches removed, and yet she was in a self-induced coma. Leave it to a woman to hold up everything, he thought bitterly. It was her testimony that was dragging out everything and if things didn't chance the new detective assigned to the case might miraculously find something and try making it stick.

Sesshomaru wasn't going to let it happen, no crime had been committed besides Naraku's breaking the restraining order and for assaulting InuYasha with a deadly weapon. What he had to do was stay on his toes, Sesshomaru could not afford to let the detective snoop around. It was already known that Naraku had had some run ins with the law after the first time InuYasha had been hospitalized. Other detectives working to pin the illusive man with charges of assault, assault with a weapon, drug smuggling, and etcetera, and yet he was able to slip through the cracks. Sesshomaru had been observing since the initial beginning, taking notes, viewing files and after two months of searching it all disappeared before his eyes.

Papers went missing, affidavits, search warrants, and finally eventually the files were gone as well. A whole filing cabinet drawer that had been filled to the brim with paperwork, with investigative leads that other officers had put hours, months into and it disappeared like it was rain in Phoenix. He had been certain that Naraku had moles in the station, things could be stolen, people could be bribed and bought out and that was the case for this no doubt. Sesshomaru didn't bat an eyelash though, he had been sure to make clear copies and file them away for his own personal reasons and when the mole could be found, the files would be put back into place.

It was definitely too much work for merely one lawyer like himself; too much knowledge that he had been positive that no one wanted him to know. Nonetheless, Naraku couldn't have made Sesshomaru disappear as effectively as others could be. Sesshomaru knew his worth, knew how people watched him, their lingering gazes angry, in awe of his presence, or some other off handed emotion he failed to acknowledge himself. He had been untouchable.

"So who was the girl?" InuYasha asked curiously as Sesshomaru read over paperwork from the briefcase he had forgotten had been brought with him. "She looked cute, is she yours?"

Sesshomaru lazily looked up at his half brother, a cold irritated glare colored in his amber eyes, a perfectly sculpted eyebrow arching inquisitively. Leave it to his half brother to be stupid enough to think that his interest was with the tiny girl. InuYasha's loud laugh filled the room, his arms crossing over his chest as a cock grin spilled onto his face and Sesshomaru decided it was time to ignore his half brother.

Five minutes was all he seemed to be allotted for silence and it wasn't long until InuYasha shot curious questions his way. Sesshomaru was able to ignore them, pretending his attention was on the paperwork in his hands, his eyes slowly scanning the words without reading them. None of it was helping him concentrate on his work and it was work that he wanted to do most.

"Sooooo?" InuYasha dragged on throwing an ice cube at Sesshomaru, the melting cube leaving water on the paper. "What's her name?"

"Rin," Sesshomaru was tired now and he sighed heavily getting to his feet and tossing the unread documents. "I've had enough."

He really did too. He was exhausted from all the research and now it was beginning to show, his mask was slipping. Despite trying to keep his mind on one track it veered to the other and he stood at the window closest to InuYasha and pulled up the blinds, gazing down on everyone who came and left through the hospital walls. Why was he still thinking about Rin? What was the reasoning behind his temporary lapse of sanity? Behind this madness he was feeling.

"Sesshomaru are you okay?" InuYasha asked concerned.

"No," his fingers raked through his hair, his eyes closing briefly, tiredly, but before he could finish he felt the pulsating vibrations of the cell phone in his pocket. It was an excuse not to answer InuYasha and he nonchalantly dug into his pocket fishing out the contraption not caring who was calling him. "This is Sesshomaru."

"Of course it is, who else could it be," the silky voice purred on the other line and immediately he felt himself touch solid ground. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Kagura," Sesshomaru said her name emotionlessly, watching the way InuYasha rolled his eyes and made choking sounds. His sentiments exactly; however, at the moment she had a purpose to fill and he knew what she wanted.

"Come over," she purred again softer this time and he could imagine the way her fingers danced around her chin, slowly moving down her long neck touching, tracing and instead of her dark eyes he saw light brown and it sent a jolt to his abdomen.

"Later," he stared at a spot on the wall, more like glared, but it was all he could do to keep his voice even.

He heard her triumphant chuckle and he hung up, clenching the phone in his hand as he reached for his briefcase with the other. InuYasha's angry eyes watched him, the cocky grin gone and replaced with a distasted scowl. Sesshomaru didn't say goodbye, didn't offer any words to his brother as he walked out of the room and away from the hospital.

_**E/N: **__That's what I have so far. I was thinking about making it only two parts, like Face down; however, I think it might end up a full-fledge story, part of me doesn't want to try cutting it down. lol_

_I want to frown at and thank the few reviewers from Face down for their opinions. It upset me first that the ending wasn't as "real" as you wanted. My original plan had been to kill them both off. Grant it, the ending does leave you thinking, it was not a relatively happy ending. It was; however, the ending I decided fit best with the story. Your reviews made me peeved enough to get the energy I needed in order to put this story into words. _

_I will have the next part up for this once I get the chance to finish writing it. ALL reviews are appreciated. _

_Thanks. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own anything here besides the plot…. **

_Well this story is a spin off my story FACE DOWN, you don't have to read it in order to understand it, but I figured I'd let you know. _

_**WARNINGS: **_**Language, dirty minds, some sexual (not sexual-sexual) content-ish-ness lol**_ It fills me with sweet, sugary goodness. You are warned._

__**So Emotional --**_**Christina Aguilera**_

By Miztikal-Dragon

**Part Two: **

To say that he was disgusted with himself was an understatement. Anything just short of killing himself was a pleasant idea and rubbing the ache in his shoulder, Sesshomaru unlocked his door and shuffled inside. His decision to go and vent some of his frustrations through Kagura couldn't have been a worse idea than drinking bleach. He recognized his mistake now and it did nothing to calm his nerves. It only seemed to add onto them, building, curling up like a rattlesnake ready to bite and he was waiting for the moment he snapped.

The cab ride to Kagura's studio had been a relaxing one, an hour and a half of thoughts that purely belonged to him. Seductive music played in the yellow vehicle, the foreign words slowing down his quickened heart beat and giving him the mental strength to push Rin from his mind. He'd been doing well if he said so himself, almost back to his normal state of uncaring; however, the moment he had stepped in front of Kagura's door he wondered if he was making a mistake.

She had flung open the door, her dark deceptive eyes watching him with a lust daze, her manicured nails grabbing at him and pulling him inside. The door closed with an eerie click, her eager hands and lips everywhere and before he could make up his mind to leave the familiar sound of buttons popping filled his ears. He could have stopped her if he had wanted to, he had the strength to pull a mere woman off him and remembered doing such on other occasions, but he didn't.

The first moments were remembered in a thick haze. He had been standing in front of her door, his long hair tickling the back of his neck, seconds later he was sitting down on Kagura's leather couch, his expensive shirt a few buttons less and his pants wide open as she, with a flick of her elegant wrist filled her mouth with him. That was the first time he lost control, his hand grabbing Kagura, forcing her deeper, using her like a toy and all too soon it was over and she only seemed to want him more.

Sesshomaru was never a decidedly cruel man, he wasn't the kind to torture people, it was beneath him, and yet tonight he was the cruelest person he knew. Kagura was in for a world of hurt, his blunted nails digging into the flesh of her arms as he pulled her from himself, her eyes still filled with a hungry want and if Sesshomaru hadn't been breathing heavier, he would have struggled for air then.

No longer was he looking at Kagura, her hair pulled up into a tight bun on the back of her head, her disheveled blouse and her puffy parted lips and he felt his need tighten. He was imagining things, things that even he knew he shouldn't have been and he blamed it on exhaustion, of being over worked as light brown eyes stared at him with a needy innocent gaze. Would she look this way with another man, her eyes wide and showing every emotion that crossed her face. Would her hair frame her face, the inky onyx color such a contrast to her pale skin--would she blush, pink heat spreading over her cheeks and maybe, just maybe down her neck to the swell of her breasts.

He remembered forcing Kagura onto her knees, pinning her down on the expensive coffee table and almost tearing at the tight skirt she wore. Never before had Sesshomaru felt a need so great building inside of him, never had he allowed himself to get so much out of control and unlike himself, he didn't care. His hips rocked with motion, his fingertips digging into the flesh of her thighs from underneath her difficult skirt, its seam ripped, ruining the designer fabric. All he could think about was Rin, how she would mold against him, how her soft voice would ring out moans of pleasure and he drank it all in.

There was no doubt in his mind he hurt Kagura, the small welts from where his nails dug into her, the tender muscles of her thighs from where they repeatedly met with the sturdy wood of her coffee table, the bite marks on her shoulder. He had used her and treated her like some rag doll, but it cleared his head and when he broke from his thoughts she lay unmoving on top of the coffee table, the only sound was her heavy breathing and immediately he felt sick to his stomach.

He didn't stay long enough to clean himself off, or see if Kagura was okay, that would have been too much unusual behavior, even for him and quickly he closed his pants, adjusting them so he could walk comfortably; the need still sitting in his loins like it was nobody's business. His shirt was ruined as well, he remembered as the cold air hit his chest, his hand raised signaling for a cab. He had toyed with the idea of leaving Kagura a note, no apologies of course, but something justifying his actions even though there had been no excuse.

This cab ride was not as pleasant as the one before, his eyes struggling to focus on the road passing him by, the music something jumpy and erratic fraying his nerves even more. His lack of control shamed him; after all, he was known for his infinite patience, his unwavering control, and his enigmatic mind. His actions were unexplainable despite the constant circle they had been traveling in since the hospital. Kagura would be mad, she would be a rabies infested dog later, he knew she would be and though she had every right to claw his eyes out he was irritated with the thought of her husky voice shrieking in his ears.

Whether he deserved it or not was not up for debate and he paid the cab driver as he exited the vehicle, opting for the long climb up the stairs than the elevator. His muscles ached in all the right ways when he reached his own door, the aching taking everything else from his mind and putting them on the backburner. He needed a vacation, he told himself pulling the ruined shirt from his body and tossing it into the trash near the kitchen counter. His keys and cell phone clattered on the countertop as he fished them from his pocket, his wallet flopping on the hard surface, opening and his identification card stared at him accusingly.

"Disgusting," he told nobody in particular storming away from the picture, his pants flopping onto the ground carelessly. He would remind himself to behave accordingly later when he needed it, but now he would be the weak man who craved the touch of a child.

The hot water felt good against his skin, the stinging pounding attacking his tense muscles and forcing them into submission. Soap suds slid down his wet body, teasing him, pleasing him and his moment of weakness turned into many moments. Long and torturous moments, aching and painful minutes and seconds, and eagerly he touched himself. His breath was quick, angry and he decided that despite what his body told him, he would not be enjoying this, not at all.

"Hey!" there was a voice ringing in her ears, calling out to her and tiredly she groaned pulling the heavy blankets over her head in attempt to fight it off.

"Rin get up!" The mattress bounced, her body flying and almost sending her sprawling onto the ground. She wanted to whine and cry, this just wasn't fair.

"Go away," her voice wavered and she fought back the tears building in her eyes. Why wouldn't they just let her sleep in once?

Gentle arms traveled slowly down her side, the large palms caressing her through the heavy blanket where they finally wrapped around her slim waist. Her breath quickened from the touch, her latest dream still fresh in her mind and the heat was back again. She had never been a morning person and this was making it even more ridiculous.

"I can't," the voice whispered an octave lower than before making her shiver. "It's a new day Rin and it's time to get up."

Her mind wandered away, the phantom feel of cold lips brushing against the juncture of her neck, of long silver hair curtaining over her shoulder and experienced fingers doing things to her that belonged on an HBO television series. She turned, her heart beating rapidly in her chest and a pair of lips slanted over hers with a feather's touch. It had been an innocent kiss, one that she knew didn't belong in her dreams, or to her dream dweller, but a burning hunger swept through her and she ran with it.

She tried deepening the kiss, her teeth nibbling on his lower lip, her fingers clutching to a pair of shoulders she knew weren't lean enough for the person who had been fanning her flames during her sleep. Large hands touched her, sliding up and down her sides, the heavy blanket thrown from her body and onto the ground, and yet those hands she needed to feel against her skin teased her above the cotton fabric of her shirt. There was something missing to the teasing kisses, the feel of the purely male body pressing firmly against her and she struggled to figure out what it was.

He was gentle and soft, slow and easy and it was different than what her body was asking for--not a bad different, but one she didn't want. Whenever she tried to take it into her own hands, guiding him, he parried to her thrust, cutting her off and trapping her into the feel of him. It drove her crazy, not in the passion induced lust haze she had been dreaming about, but into something safe. She didn't want safe.

"Rin," her eyes opened as his lips pulled away, his own deep chocolate eyes staring strangely into her trying to read into her soul. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't--"

He was backing away from her, his hands held almost guiltily in front of him and she felt the rage creeping into the back of her mind. She wanted more, needed it, the burning need churning in her stomach and she didn't wait for him to try and get away from her. Rin sat up, grabbing his shirt and pulled him underneath her, her lips latching onto his and pressing herself to him in a way that could not be misconstrued. God, she wanted something, ached for something and eagerly her fingertips slid underneath his t-shirt, his muscles jerking in response to her cold fingers.

His hands were back on her and for a moment she thought he had given in, his lips parting and she moaned into his lips. She felt as though she had a demon inside her and she pressed her parted legs flush against his leg, her hungry lips taking advantage of the pair beneath them. However, the hands didn't pull her close--no, instead they pushed her away and caught off guard by the surprise force she slipped off the side of the bed and onto the floor, her yellow cast smacking against the wooden floor and greeting her with a throbbing pain.

"God damn it Kohaku!" She spat angrily trying to roll onto her stomach at an attempt to sit up, the aching need pounding in her like it was trying to consume her.

"Oh jeez Rin I'm sorry--" his hands grabbed at her and she growled batting them away. The hell she was going to let him help her now.

"Don't touch me!" She fisted her hand and punched him hard, his confused eyes staring down at her, his cheeks flushed and his lips swollen from her hard kisses. "I can't believe you shoved me off the bed. What are you trying to do break my other leg?"

His shaggy hair was tangled and he looked like a kicked puppy and despite the hatred she was beginning to feel for her actions, she was more hurt that he had pulled away. Hadn't it been him who declared his love for her time and time again, his arms holding her, his ramblings that only he could make her happy? She was angry at herself, but angry at him because she had been so willing and he flat out rejected her. Mornings sucked, she told herself wiping her tears with the back of her arm. Well if he wanted to be like that, then she could play that game to.

"I'm so sorry Rin," he was a kicked puppy and she knew it because she'd done a lot of the kicking herself, though not intentionally. "I mean I didn't know--I mean suddenly you were there and it was too much."

"Yeah sure whatever," she grumbled finally managing to pull herself to her feet. "I gotta go."

"Rin," his hand touched her shoulder and though the need to shrug it off was egging her on, she didn't.

She ignored him as she slowly hobbled around the small room, picking up pieces of clothing as she went. Kohaku was uncomfortable now, she could tell by the way he stood; his hand rubbing the side of his opposite arm, his over emotional eyes focused on his feet and she felt like a jerk suddenly. It wasn't fair, she told herself as she grabbed a pair of clean jeans from her shared dresser. He was the one being difficult, the one refusing her and yet she had to be the one to feel bad. Rin thought he would have loved the idea of them being together, but maybe that wasn't the case. Maybe the love he claimed to have for her really wasn't a romantic interest everyone had said he had, that he said he had. Maybe all she really was to him was a little sister and it made her stomach churn violently. She didn't want him to be there to see the ugliness in her take over.

The long nightshirt she wore covered all her private areas stopping inches before her knees and throwing caution out the window she turned her back to Kohaku and pulled the cotton material up over her head and tossed it to the floor, replacing it with her bra and long-sleeved sweater blouse. She had heard his sudden intake of breath, his surprised gasp and though heat filled her cheeks she didn't stop. There was no doubt in her mind that what she was doing was more than morally wrong, but she couldn't help herself. She was tired of waiting in line for something she wasn't sure she was ever going to get, tired of being the good girl that Kohaku always said he loved. It was time for an attitude adjustment before she went crazy and lost everything anyway.

If she had been a strong person, Rin would have shimmied her way out of her underwear, teasing her childhood friend in a way that was indecent and inappropriate--even by her standards: however, that would have made her cross a line she wasn't too sure she was ready to (that and she doubted her ability to try such standing with her cast still on). Instead she awkwardly pulled on her jeans, barely managing to right herself as she wobbled several times. It would have been easier if Kohaku had offered to help her hold herself up, if he had done anything besides standing behind her, his cheeks blushing red like some tomato colored statue and it only added to her fowl mood.

Dressing took her longer than she anticipated, her one sock and one shoe, buttoning of her pants and looping a belt around her waist. By the time she was finished she was down right livid and she didn't bother finding a brush to attack her hair, she opted for running her fingers through the long strands, combing out the knots and tossing it into a loose ponytail that hung over her shoulder. She'd gotten used to not using her crutches to walk, they took too much time to move around, time she didn't want to waste so she was willing to struggle without them. Besides, people were more willing to trip a girl in crutches than one not using them.

"Rin," Kohaku squeaked her name and she grumbled a curse or two under her breath as she left the comforts of her room and went down the hall.

She didn't want to be there anymore, not when he was going to be dancing around her. Rin didn't want his pity or his apologies, she wanted to be treated like she always had and now that was obviously out of the question. Her bangs bobbed as she walked, curious eyes of other group home orphans watching her, Kohaku's voice calling out her name as she went. No one knew her to be moody, not the grumpy broody girl they had been introduced to two weeks earlier after her spill outside and coincidentally the day she'd been dragged back to the old beat up building by her social worker.

Now normally she was indifferent when they brought her back, a smile on her face and a shrug on her shoulders because it couldn't be helped. She was a burden to the state, hell they all were--her more so due to all the hospital bills thanks to her disease called clumsiness. There had been plenty of broken bones, stitches, splints, and sprains--and even once a hyper extended groin in the summer of '05. There was something about that day though, she thought to herself as she rested her weight against the small wall outside her building; something that happened that had changed the way she felt about her situation. She was grateful that she had a place to stay, warm clothes and what not, but now she wanted something entirely different.

In the back of her mind she knew that it had something to do with that attorney, that Sesshomaru Takahara, who had looked at her with clouded amber eyes, their coldness piercing and freezing her instantly in place. He was different, she told herself picking at the dirt under her nails. He was older that was for certain, his hair a long silver color, not white or gray like her grandparents had, but a sleek sophisticated color that made his appearance extremely exotic.

No one had been able to catch her attention as fully as he had, his touch leaving her almost breathless awake and while she was fast asleep. He was the reason she'd been feeling of her mark lately, so alien to everyone and she chewed her lip thinking about him. These thoughts weren't nice, she wanted to track him down, this Sesshomaru and yell at him for messing up her life but she wouldn't because deep down she knew there was no one to blame but her adolescent hormones.

"Rin!" It wasn't Kohaku this time and she looked up to see a lopsided smile and auburn hair, a pair of easy green eyes twinkling in front of her.

"Hey Shippo," she yelled out over the loud humming of his scooter's engine.

He threw the spare helmet her way and catching it, she shoved it on her head, easing her bad leg over the seat behind him. She liked Shippo, he was easier to get along with than Kohaku sometimes and he never needed a call to know that she needed him. It was like he always had the 'Rin' frequency on in his brain and all she had to do was wait and he'd magically show up like some knight in armor. The best part was that she knew where she stood with slightly younger boy and it made their relationship so much easier than anything else in her life.

She was comfortable around him and she guessed that was what really mattered. He revved the small scooter engine and she laughed at his lacking display of masculinity as her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. They did not have a lot of options when it came to places they could go, not when neither of them had any inflow of cash, yet that didn't bother her as she watched the trees and vehicles whiz by, the wind blowing her long hair and taking away all of her life's little frustrations. The scooter twisted and turned around corners, passing other vehicles less than legally. This was something she needed, she told herself as she whooped loudly in Shippo's ear, his almost childlike laughter vibrating through his chest.

"Where are we going?" She yelled resting her head against Shippo's shoulder.

"The park!" He replied turning another corner, his body leaning to the side. "I don't have any money to go to the arcade."

Rin rolled her eyes at that, of course he would rather be at the arcade if he could, that was just so Shippo. He drove up on the sidewalk and down the pathway, pedestrians jumping out of the way as they rolled down the pavement. If an on-foot officer had spotted them, Shippo would be given another ticket, one that she doubted he could afford and cautiously she kept her eyes out looking for the worst. Unlike last time, they made it safely to their designated spot underneath an enormous tree, the long thick branches reaching out sporting millions of small green leaves.

In an instant the engine was switched off and Rin hopped off the back of the scooter, plopping down in the soft grass as easily as she could with her plastered leg. Her helmet came off just as quickly and she sat it next to her as Shippo threw himself on her, his head laying in her lap and together they melted into the scenery. One of her arms were folded behind her head to keep it off the grass, the other playing with the strands of auburn hair that had escaped Shippo hair tie and it warmed her heart.

This was the feeling she wanted, she mused closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. The relaxed emptiness that came from being at the park with someone she cared about, not having to do anything; not required to think or be on guard. She could say anything, do anything for that matter and nothing would be held against her later. It was the ultimate relaxation, her sanctuary and if Shippo hadn't been laying his head on her lap she could have drifted off into a light sleep not noticing his voice drifting in her ears.

As it were she had to struggle to listen to his words, his long drawn out tale of the last week that they had spent apart. He'd gotten another part time job, his boss was a dick to him but the tips were good so he would be able to get a new tire for the bike in his adopted parent's garage. She listened to him talk about them, him having finally been adopted the month prior and how he didn't think it was going to last. That didn't bother him though, because he was almost old enough to get out on his own and not have worry about parents or adoption interviews. Soon and then he would be done with them once and for all.

His confession tugged at her heartstrings, he was in the same boat as she was; however, he had a young face and people really seemed to like him at first. Rin, on the other hand, didn't want to be adopted--didn't want to have to try to adapt to someone else who was in control over everything that involved her and that was okay with her. He was stronger than she was, she guessed as her fingertips danced over his clothed shoulder. He was strong enough to be able to keep going and going into interviews in hopes that somebody would want him to stay longer than the normal month or two. Shippo was an optimist.

"Hey can I ask you a question?" His tone took a curious edge to it, his entire body turning so he could face her as he spoke.

"You can ask me anything Shippo," his green eyes seemed to shimmer and if he had been a vampire like in all those novels she read, Rin would have been instantly glamoured by him.

"This is going to sound really out there," he had piqued her interest and she arched her eyebrow curiously at him letting him know to continue. "Don't wig out on me though okay?"

"Okay?"

"Can I--well, uh--can I kiss you?" The last of his question came out all at once and she had to stop and pull it apart to understand. His cheeks took an odd shade of pink and if it had been possible, her eyebrows rose higher. "I mean just to se if, you know-- it's been bothering me lately and I figured I'd ask instead of just jumping you."

The worst part wasn't that he was asking to kiss her after she just had her 'little' fiasco with Kohaku because she hadn't gotten the chance to tell him about it yet, but that she could actually picture the image in her head. It was a funny picture, Shippo with his childlike looks and huge green eyes jumping off his scooter as she limped to him, his arms taking her into his and dipping her as he smooched the life out of her. Knowing him like she did, Rin knew he would have done exactly that and right in front of Kohaku, the others and probably even their designated 'den mother' Sango (hers and Kohaku's parents had been the directors of their 'orphanage' and she had taken it over when they passed away) and that would have made a mess so big Rin doubted she would have gotten out of it alive.

The thought had a wide smile on her lips and she barely held back a fit of giggles and despite how ridiculous it sounded, Shippo had planted the seed of curiosity in her head and she nodded her consent, not trusting herself to speak without bursting out into loud laughter. He nodded himself, his eyes instantly zooming to her mouth with an eager restraint and she laid still hoping not to spook him from the look of tense muscles in his shoulders. His body wiggled up closer to hers taking on a more eager approach than she thought he would, but then again, he was Shippo and that itself was a bucket full of surprises.

The mood around the two of them went from light to suddenly serious in the blink of an eye as he leaned over her prone form, his hand touching her cheek softly and Rin held her breath. Questions began racing in her head; what if there was something? What if he found out that he couldn't accept only one kiss and she felt nothing? What if it were the other way around something sparked in her but not for him? It was logical to her; after all, that seemed to be the case between Kohaku and herself and honestly she didn't want to have the awkwardness that she had with Kohaku spilling out into her carefree friendship with Shippo and poisoning it, but it was too late to rescind her invitation.

His lips touched hers innocently, his instant reaction of jerking away not going unnoticed before he pressed them against hers again, but this time more urgently. His mouth was softer than she imagined, his fingers sliding down her neck and her eyes fluttering closed as she enjoyed his not so stolen moment. There was no heat, no electricity or need to take the small experiment deeper and the most she thought about it, there wasn't even a shiver or a quickening of her heart. It was as if she were kissing a mirror and when he pulled away she heard his heavy sigh and echoed it with her own.

"So anything?" She asked opening her eyes and glancing up at him.

"Nope," a Cheshire grin exploded on his face and it made her laugh. "You?"

"Nope," she mimicked watching him pull his loose hair behind his ear.

"Well that blows," he chuckled sitting up, his fingers picking pieces of grass off the ground and sprinkling it on her stomach. "We could have been perfect together."

"It's possible," she mused off handedly. "You could have been my knight in auburn armor and whisked me away on your oh-so-fast scooter and we could have lived happily ever after."

His carefree and loud laugh stole away the awkwardness building in her stomach and her smile widened, they would be okay. Their kiss wouldn't change anything and that was the best news she had had all week. He rambled about random things for the next few minutes until he gave her the opening and asked about Kohaku. The name made her frown and immediately he sprawled out on top of her again and listened to her as she repeated the mornings activities and the wonderful dream that had been badgering her for what felt like forever.

Rin watched Shippo's facial expression as she spoke, it had always been amusing in past conversations to see how into her monologue he got and she wondered if it was okay gossiping to him like a chatty cathy. She had never had too many friends that were girls, they just weren't into what she was and that drew her away from them. Boys; however, were everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Jumping off six-foot fences, running around with sharp sticks in their hands yelling and flailing their arms, it was exciting and she wanted to be apart of it. Things did change though, with puberty and all and soon enough the boys weren't so eager to screaming like chimpanzees, or hang out with some girl either, well at least not a very pretty girl like her. She hadn't understood until Kohaku proclaimed his love to her and it spiraled her into a world she was not willing to participate in. Sure she would have to eventually grow up, everyone who spent any time in an orphanage did all too soon and Rin wanted to hold out to the very last possible moment.

That time though, came sooner than she would have liked and when it had hit her she was caught like a deer in the headlights. That was the year she hyper extended her groin and after two weeks in the hospital because it was so difficult to walk that she fell and sprained her ankle and broke her wrist the boys who she had spent her entire existence with suddenly got it into their heads that she was fragile. So what if she fell and hurt herself more than the other girls did, she wasn't doing what the other girls were and it was to be expected. It just wasn't a saving grace that she was naturally clumsy and most of her injuries could have easily been avoidable if she had paid attention to what she was doing.

When her story was finally over Shippo's eyes had turned thoughtful and he jumped to his feet darting to the pack hanging on the scooter and digging through it as though his life depended on it. Rin sat up and watched him, brushing the grass off her shirt and pants. His eyebrows were furrowed and his teeth worried on his lip as things jostled in the medium sized leather pouch. What was he looking for, she wondered and if she hadn't had the cast on she would have crawled over to him, but since she was weighed down by plaster, she decided to stay put.

"Aha!" his fingers clutched something small and leather, a wallet maybe and she felt like an idiot not knowing what the importance of it was. He turned to face her and instead of the delighted look he supported the second before it was now suspicious and nervous. "I've got good news and bad news."

"Okay," she drawled out as he stood next to the scooter not coming back to where she was. "Bad news first I guess."

"Right," his tense muscles deflated and he shook his shoulders as if it could detach the feelings in him. "But you can't be mad at me until I tell you the good news, you promise."

"I promise nothing."

"Well okay, The other day I was with the guys," he started. Since it was bad news first, Rin knew exactly who Shippo meant by the guys and a bad taste filled her mouth. Nothing ever good came out of that crowd and she didn't know why he hung out with them. "And we had been daring each other to do some pretty stupid shit, you know, like jumping out into traffic, flipping up skirts and dresses of some chicks, really dumb stuff and well, Hiten dared me to pick pocket some guy--"

"Shippo no!" She interrupted, her eyes widened in horror. She just couldn't approve of him going around stealing from people, it was horrible.

"Hush," he said exasperated, his hands stretching out in front of him, the wallet dangling in his right. "Well Hiten pointed to this guy, and I thought okay no big deal, and it wasn't. I mean I'm good at it, I've done it before, no problem. but here's the good news. You know the guy."

"I fail to see how that's good news Shippo," she spat struggling to get to her feet. This was not going in the direction she liked and she'd be damned if she was going to sit there and listen to it, she didn't want to be guilty by association. Shippo was better than that.

"Oh come on!" He grouched reaching out to help her and it took away from her anger. "Just look at the guy's I.D."

The wallet flipped open and she wanted to close her eyes and pretend, but couldn't. In all honesty she was curious, doubly so if Shippo said she knew him and implied that he hadn't. There weren't many people that she knew that he didn't that was for sure so she forced herself to look. The image had her heart stopping cold in her chest, the color draining from her face and she thought for a moment that she was either going to be violently ill or faint. Silver hair and amber eyes stood out and stared at her, and she let out the breath she had been holding. She was staring at Sesshomaru's Takahara's I.D card, his address and his stolen wallet.

Stolen? God, what had Shippo gotten himself into this time.

_**E/N: **__Thanks to the few people who reviewed, you guys rock. I was surprised by how quickly this came out, though I do have a few directions this story could do in and I'm still in a silent debate on how much I want to laugh. Haven't started on the next part, hoping that this will be maybe 6 parts, max! _

_I guess my inspiration this time goes to the office in which I work, because they made this latest installment possible. Even if they didn't know it. _

_Thanks, and until next time, eat cheese and rice._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own anything here besides the plot…. **

_Well this story is a spin off my story FACE DOWN, you don't have to read it in order to understand it, but I figured I'd let you know. _

_**WARNINGS: **_**Language, dirty minds, some sexual (not sexual-sexual) content-ish-ness lol**_ It fills me with sweet, sugary goodness. You are warned._

_Today's chapter was brought to you by __**"Decode" **__from Paramore and__** "Somebody's Watching Me"**__ from Rockwell (the Geico commercial to those who didn't know that)_

__**So Emotional --**_**Christina Aguilera**_

By Miztikal-Dragon

_**Part Three**_

If there was one thing Sesshomaru wouldn't have normally called himself it would be stressed. Like many new developments in his life, this wasn't one that he had concerned himself with. Sure he felt overworked sometimes, and underestimated with his skills; however, stress had never been something he had acknowledged himself to have. He prided himself on being a man who was stress free, not carefree, but careful and now, well now he felt ordinary.

He wasn't ordinary though, he was intelligent, attractive, cool-headed and etcetera, etcetera, but he wasn't ordinary that was for sure. Hundreds of papers were strewn over his kitchen table, piles of folders and affidavits sticking out every which way. The worst was over though, he told himself fingering through the stack in his hand, all what was left was a ridiculous amount of paperwork. There would be no trial, no arrests and that lightened the weight of his load tenfold.

Of course he knew that there wasn't a way for it to not go that way, not when it was so obvious that the detective that had been shuffled in coincidentally halfway through the case was dirtier than the dumpsters in a bar alleyway. The man was crooked, not thoroughly evil since his work was sloppy, but enough that it had posed a challenge to Sesshomaru's case, though barely enough to warrant anyone's attention.

The man, Detective Takamori stepped on toes, toes that should have been kissed not stepped on and that would have been easily overlooked if officers hadn't started going missing. Sesshomaru waved it off as stupidity because that's exactly what it was. Takamori became too big for his britches and tried calling the shots and when that didn't happened, good men disappeared. Those sneaky actions caught the attention of the dogs higher up, the top guns and there was no where to run when the sword of justice came swinging down on his neck.

If Sesshomaru had been a man like Takamori (thank god he wasn't), he wouldn't have been caught over a pathetic drug charge. He would have known to keep his hands clean and let someone else take the blame for his manipulations. All the same, it proved Sesshomaru right. Takamori was incompetent at both his job and his place in the shadows. He was a dead man.

All of that was behind Sesshomaru now, InuYasha and Kagome would be able to go on with their lives as they saw fit, and Sesshomaru--well he would just carry on like he always had. His eye twitched sporadically as it made its way down the page riddled with text, he'd been reading for hours and rereading for longer still trying to find an end to the paperwork. Normally he didn't mind the tedious time consuming work, in fact he had loved spending time away from everyone just so he could get the silence he desired.

In the last three weeks it looked as if silence was something Sesshomaru could no longer deal with. It pounded in his ears, picked at the strings of his nerves and grinded his teeth together. Silence had been the one thing he strived for before, but now, now it was just another thing he couldn't stand. The soft classical music playing in the background was a major statement to this and even that wasn't helping the sudden antsy feeling churning in his stomach.

What was wrong with him, he often wondered as he rummaged through boxes, cooked his dinner, or showered. What had robbed him of one of his few life's pleasures and made it so distasteful that he shuddered away from it as if it were diseased. What bothered him most wasn't the need for noise, it was all of the other things that had, in the blink of an eye, changed. He couldn't stand silence, couldn't sit and work for hours and hours working through problems and solving them, it was as if his brain has ceased to function.

After the first three days Sesshomaru began to experience another emotion he hadn't felt since he was a child during his parent's messy divorce, worry. It hit him like a ton of bricks, swarming in his veins and for the first time in four years he personally called up his family physician and made an appointment. To his disappointment there was nothing wrong with him (not that he had been hoping for something to be wrong), and the elderly doctor advised that Sesshomaru take a few weeks off, that maybe, just maybe he was overwhelmed and needed a break.

Sesshomaru had scoffed at the answer, he didn't need a break. Perhaps a complete psychiatric evaluation, but even then Sesshomaru refused to consider it. It would only prove that he believed there was something truly wrong with him, something stemming from his mind and he wasn't crazy. So like with everything else he deemed useless, Sesshomaru ignored it and pushed it way into the back of his mind hoping to never broach the subject again. What he really needed was a good night's sleep.

Never once in his life had Sesshomaru lost any sleep, and during his last three weeks of utter hell that was no exception. There was a routine he followed, a strict routine and he'd been following it for the last nine years, with few disturbances and those had yet to pose any real problem. As it stood he slept roughly the same amount of hours and still he woke up feeling restless and fuzzy. Completely unlike himself. Gathering all the paperwork he could together, Sesshomaru set it in a small wired basket labeled 'outgoing' and pulled himself out of the large leather chair. He wouldn't get any work done if he continued forcing himself and though it was against his better judgment, he decided that it was time for a break.

"Ridiculous," he murmured to the empty lavish apartment where he lived.

And to him that's exactly what it was. Sesshomaru made it a habit of not wearing ties, they looked funny on him as they had his late father, though he never appeared under dressed without them. Sighing heavily, he toed out of his shoes and put them into his closet with the rest. It was already late out, his digital clock reading nine-thirty and he was certain that he would not be leaving for any reason.

The sudden realization that possibly he was overworked had his fingers slowing down as they unbuttoned his lavender long sleeved dress shirt. It wasn't a happy realization either, not when it brought the ugly truth that he was a different man to the table. He was changing, that was for sure, slowly and sneakily and if he had his way he would always stay the same. He didn't like the little surprises that graced him recently, the knowing that something he once loved (if he used the word loosely) was now the bane of his existence.

He wanted this change to be merely nothing but a temporary phase, though he knew it wouldn't be. He wanted to hope, but then again, he remember that hope was just a four letter word that one couldn't trust, hope wasn't something he could afford to waste his time pinning after when it rarely ever came with positive endings. So since hoping was out and demanding went with it, all he could do was wait. Waiting was something else he found demeaning to him but at least with waiting he knew couldn't get thrown under the bus when it finally hit him.

Sesshomaru was debating going on a long distant vacation now--something that he never thought would cross his mind at his age. He wasn't as young as he used to be, easily ten months passed thirty-four (give or take a month), yet he hadn't figured the need for one until forty earliest. It was the workaholic nature he'd been bred with, something that it seemed had ignored his younger half brother.

There had always been a time for a getaway, always had been a choice for him to make and in the end he decided against it at every turn. He knew he used excuses to why he couldn't; a business deal, a new client, or a trial that he couldn't push back, completely conceding the fact that deep down the knowledge that he actually could was buried and promptly ignored.

The light white tank top kept the chilling cold air off his chest, but the openness of it made it easier for him to breathe freely. It was decided, he told himself shedding the silk shirt and folding it over his arm, his silver flannel pajama pants in the other, a vacation was needed. Though what he needed at the moment was a nice hot shower, a good stiff drink to further relax him and a good book to read (all in that order), he mused almost smiling to himself. He'd be able to think better after that and then, well then, he'd figure out his next plan of action and tackle it.

The chiming alien sound of his doorbell rang in his ears throwing him from his thoughts and Sesshomaru set his clothes on the edge of his bed before heading back towards the door. It was too late for any visitors, he told himself trying to wrack his brain for the range of people who would disturb him at this time of night and coming up with none. He didn't have many friends, well none at all and it was another choice of his because friends didn't make a man, his actions did and there had been no need to have them.

Friends required things Sesshomaru refused to part with. They need conversation, time, companionship and none of those came with Sesshomaru's package so like everything else, he ignored it and focused on himself and his work. He was better than most, he chanted to himself growing up, would always be better than every other person and he could only use his valuable time on people who were up to his standards. Sadly, but then again, not really, no one measured up.

His door came with a peephole that he never used, a chain that was only latched when he was retiring for the night so he opened the door wide enough to let a body through. The lavish home he resided on was in a high class neighborhood, just on the outskirts of downtown living and security was good enough that no one had been robbed (not like anyone had the balls to rob him anyway), no home invasions, yet it was only a little perk of having been born into and acquired money. Everything could be bought with a high enough price.

Familiar cold eyes greeted him, short dark brown hair pulled into a tight bun, and a seductive pair of lips spreading into a suggestive smile. Kagura, he told himself as he eyed her, his eyebrow raising curiously. She was wearing a mid-knee trench coat, one she wore if there was a storm brewing in the sky, one that he knew had no purpose this night. Her heels were higher than normal, over exaggerating the length of her already long legs and instead of the heat that normally rushed to his loins he felt empty.

"Kagura," Sesshomaru spoke as coldly as he felt and he watched the woman in front of him flinch. "What do you want?"

"You know what I want Sesshomaru," she had forgiven his pervious actions it seemed as he listened to her purring voice. She was trying to seduce him, to lure him between her legs and this time he would not bite.

"It's late," he was in a no-nonsense mood and company wasn't something he wanted or needed at the moment. "Go home."

"But Sesshomaru--" he had never heard her voice hit a whining note, it had always been beneath the both of them and yet there she was, her manicured fingernails unbuttoning the buttons to her trench coat.

He already knew what was underneath, or lack thereof, and if he had been any other man his attention would be latched to her long fingers. However, he wasn't any other man he was Sesshomaru and now he was just getting plain irritated. Women always complained that a man didn't understand the word 'no' when it came to sex, but at the moment he was beginning to think they had it backwards. He wanted to sigh heavily to get her attention wanted to turn around and slam the door in her face so she would get the bigger picture, but as he stated before, he wasn't a cruel man.

Her arms were wrapped around him, her naked body pressed suggestively against him. This was a new tactic of hers, he mused, her breasts teasing his, her mouth on his neck sucking and nibbling. What happened to the vicious woman he had known? Where was the fire and claws, the anger and the seductive barking? This change to her was like throwing ice water on him and suddenly he was disgusted. Kagura's hand touched him through the fabric of his pants, caressing him before sliding up and slipping down to meet hot flesh. She was still sure of herself, that she could get him to bend to her, but he wasn't the type to bend, especially not to her.

"Stop," a growl escaped his throat and instead he felt her fingers curl around him and squeeze teasingly. If she was trying to get him to sleep with her, this definitely wasn't the right way to go about it and he decided he had had enough of her.

Almost angrily his fingertips wove themselves into Kagura's thick bun and she melted to him, although instead of crashing her mouth into a painful kiss like he knew she wanted, he pulled her away. His fingers curled around the strands as he yanked, forcing her body to release its hold on his own and her sharp cry of pain was like music to his ears. This wasn't what either of them were expecting, but sometimes drastic measures were called for.

A silent gasp of surprise drew his attention from Kagura and down the large hallway. Wide light brown eyes stared surprised at him, long black hair slipping out underneath a yarn knitted beanie. A jolt of warmth surged through him as he stared at her, her curled fist hiding her mouth from his view. Something else passed by him, something leaving his stomach churning violently. Was it shame? Regret? Shock?

"Button yourself up and go home." Ice was the only thing colder than his tone and he released his hold on her hair watching Kagura scramble away from him as if he were diseased.

He wanted to believe that this would be the last time he saw Kagura, not quite hoping because as previously stated hope wasn't a word Sesshomaru could trust. Kagura glared at him angrily as she righted herself, a curse or two directed at him escaping her mouth before she spun around and stomped away. Sesshomaru didn't watch her walk away, didn't care if her body was exposed in the slightest way because truth be told his attention was entirely focused on someone else.

"Come," he called out to her, her surprised gasp catching his ears once again before he turned and walked back into his home.

Why was she here? How did she know where he lived? Why? They were questions that raced through his mind while he poured himself a small glass of amber liquid. Was some higher being laughing at him? Were they trying to mess with him to see what his reaction would be? Well if that was the case then he seriously was not amused whatsoever. With one quick move Sesshomaru threw the drink back, inviting the burn of the liquid as it ran down his throat. He would definitely need more than one drink tonight and that was not too appealing.

Filling his glass again he turned to face her, his current mental obsession and he felt his heart skip a beat. Her completion was as pale as ever, the deep green of her sweater blouse making her skin almost glow. The sleeves were long, so long that all he could see were the tips of her fingers but it didn't look anything but fitting. The urge to offer her a drink was overpowering with the trapped lamb look she held on her face. He guessed it made him the ferocious lion and that itself was enough to scoff at.

"How did you find out where I live?" He asked, the pooling warmth spilling out into his stomach and working its way through his muscles.

Her blush had been everything he imagined it would be, the faint redness slipping down the arch of her neck and disappearing underneath the fabric of her blouse. It made him hungry and not in the normal way. He wanted to taste the flavor of her lips, the feel of her body against his and his loins stirred again, this time more violently.

"I-um, well I--" On anyone else the constant stuttering was annoying and the person was dismissed as an idiot; however, when it was her voice quivering it tugged at him and he stepped closer to her. "This is going to sound horrible, I mean jeez there is no such thing as a good coincidence--Sesshomaru, I--"

"You're rambling," when had he gotten so close? She was doing things to him, bad things and the worst part was that Sesshomaru didn't know if he could stop it if his life depended on it.

If her eyes could have gotten any wider they would have, they were so close. Less than a foot, his tall frame looming over her oozing something dangerous and it took her breath away. How many times had she dreamed of him, dreamed up the dangerous air that swirled around him like a cloak? Her fingers were itching, her muscles twitching and she wanted to close her eyes feeling the warmth of his breath on her face. She wanted to kiss him, taste him and it had her licking her lips with anticipation.

"Rin, why--" her brain had effectively shut down hearing his voice go an octave or two lower. A pair of lips were suddenly on hers, warm and tangy with the taste of alcohol.

The burning need flared up in her stomach threatening to consume her as her lips parted inviting his hungry mouth to consume her. She felt short of breath as her hands pulled him to her, his own touching the flesh of her neck and making her shudder. She was losing control and it couldn't have felt better. He nibbled on her lower lip, her beanie falling to the floor, her arms filled with Sesshomaru and she gasped as he molded perfectly around her. Rin wanted more of him, her moaning gasp snapping the both of them like a rubber band.

Hadn't Sesshomaru just disentangled himself from another woman? Hadn't she flung herself at him and done the same exact thing as Rin? What was happening? Rin felt the cold touch of his hand on her side, the calloused fingertips filling her with an unbearable heat, zapping her muscles and throwing her brain into the wind. A thumb caressed her nipple through the fabric of her bra, his lips leaving hers and trailing down her neck and Rin felt like she would die. This was too much, but not enough at the same time and she needed to stop or else she would lose herself in the lust that Sesshomaru was filling her with.

His touch teased her, stealing sounds from her that neither of them knew she had in her and she felt herself melting into a pile of goop. She could not be saved from this.

"I always feel like somebody's watching me and I have no privacy," the song was like a fire extinguisher and Rin flinched away from Sesshomaru as the ringing of her phone continued.

It had been a complete goof when Shippo and her decided to get the ring tone, even more hilarious to put it under Kohaku's phone number and now she found it eerie and even disturbing. The song started playing again and this time Rin fished into her pocket and dragged out her cell phone, flipping it open to answer.

"What's taking you so long Rin?" Kohaku's voice flooded into her ears and she glanced up at Sesshomaru worriedly.

Everything about him looked tastefully disheveled except for his eyes, the amber color dark and hazy with something she couldn't quite place. His lips were parted and swollen and if it had been anyone else other than Kohaku on the phone she would have hung up in an instant and jumped Sesshomaru where he stood. However, it was Kohaku on the phone and guilt filled her, chastising her for throwing herself at another man when she had always thought her feelings for Kohaku were less than platonic.

"Rin?" his voice cracked and it drew her back to the situation at hand.

"I'll be down in a minute," she whispered not trusting her voice at all.

Kohaku said something else that she ignored and waited until he hung up to pull her phone away. This was bad, this was really bad and there was no way to right it. Count on Rin to fuck things up beyond repair, though not all of it had been regrettable.

"I have to go," she told Sesshomaru in a soft whisper, her voice still having not recovered. "I-I'll explain everything later I promise…"

Without forgetting her original plan, Rin dug into her back pocket and pulled out Sesshomaru's wallet and placed it in his hand before she scurried from the room, the door clicking shut behind her and leaving Sesshomaru completely alone. His brain was still attempting to restart and all he could do was stare at the closed door, his wallet in his hand. How had she found it? He asked himself curling his fingers around the leather object.

He had been right, her lips kiss bruised had swollen in the littlest bit and had potential of so much more. His skin was on fire from her touch, the cold air slightly cooling it, but not by much. The drink that had been in his hand was now on the floor, the amber liquid leaving a small puddle and though he knew that he should clean it up before it dried, he chose to ignore it. There was a cold shower calling his name desperately and until he could think clearly that was the only place he needed to be.

He definitely was changing.

_**E/N: **__ZOMG! lol Thank you to everyone who has left me a review. You guys rock! I was having problems with this chapter, but "decode" and "Somebody's Watching Me" kicked my ass outta my funk. _

_ALSO! I've started a new stoy, I will be putting it up once I finish the first chapter. _

_'Safe in Love' _

_SUMMARY: __"I had escaped death once and lived to tell the tale… How was I supposed to know it was coming back to finish me off?"_

_Keep an eye out for it! And always, REVIEW! _


	4. Chapter 4

_** Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides my vehicle and my pets... and even then I think they might just own me.. lawlz**_

___This chapter was brought to you curtosey of "Because of You" by Ne-Yo.. and six hours of listening to the same song over and over and over again. _

_ Had to be a ninja to get this chapter updated since I don't have internet at the moment! Explanations down at bottom... Also, this chapter contains adult situations, if you do not like such, please read no further.. yayz. Please Enjoy._

_** So Emotional**_

_** By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_** Part Four**_

It was easily a week until Rin could get the cherry red blush from her cheeks from merely seeing two people sharing an intimate kiss and she knew it would be even longer until she was able to look Kohaku in the eyes again without feeling guilty. Grant it there was nothing to feel guilty about, especially with Kohaku. She had offered herself to the shy boy and he but pushed her away. She hadn't kissed Sesshomaru to get back at Kohaku, that much she could say was truthful because it wasn't about getting back at Kohaku, since technically he hadn't done anything wrong. Shippo and Rin called it her temporary lapse of stupid, okay well she did, Shippo called it "hil-fucking-larious", his words exactly. He teased her when she first told him about the strange woman in the trench coat, about how Rin wanted to run away so he couldn't see her, but Sesshomaru had spotted her first.

She had told Shippo about her kiss, the way she felt as Sesshomaru touched her in a way no one of the male, or female gender had ever dared to touch her and when her blush came back full force Shippo had spent the next few days making kissy noises and over exaggerated moans. Of course she had smacked Shippo every chance she got to; however, there were drawback while wearing a cast in the speed department, though she did get a good kick once or twice that appeased her.

That wasn't the point though, not when she lay in the darkness of her shared bedroom wondering why things went the way they did. Rin already knew that she would be seeing Sesshomaru again; after all, she had promised to explain everything to him... Though, what 'everything' meant she had no idea any longer. A part of her ached to see him again purely for sexual stimulation. her body longed for the skilled touch of his fingers again to feel the trail of fire that burned and caressed her. It could be nothing more than adolescent lust smoldering deep inside her, an primal animal need, but from they way her body bended to Sesshomaru she highly doubted anyone but him could satisfy it.

Okay, that's it!, she told herself shaking her head almost violently. She was done thinking about her need to feed her libido and the man who could do it if she let him. There were other things that she needed to think about, things that demanded her attention and she was not about to shuck her responsibilities because she needed a nice stiff one. She decided she would be productive this morning, unlike she had been for the last two weeks and she was determined to keep her mind to herself and not on other people or their gender parts.

That itself wasn't hard to do, all that it required was finding the right people and that consisted of finding Sango. The woman was tall, well taller than Rin was and beautiful. Long dark hair, creamy complexion, she was like a siren's call, but she had an attitude of a spitting mad bull. Rin guessed that Sango's temper was what drew in her latest (and longest), lasting relationship with the town pervert, but who Rin's 'den mother' slept with was of no concern to her. She remembered, no gossip was good gossip, though she bended it to her will as she pumped Sango for work. It was like winning the lottery when it came to the orphanage. There was always something that needed to be fixed, cleaned, or tidied up and Rin took the mop and wash cloths with open arms.

Rin was lucky enough to have an old battered CD walkman and a pair of earphones and she quickly tucked it into the back of her jeans as she dusted and swept. She would have hand mopped the floor, but Sango refused to let Rin use anything other than the old mop. She hadn't quite paid attention to the reason behind it, the mentioning of her name would have been enough of a reason. Accidents never seemed to care about coincidences until they met with her and that always wound up in a hospital visit or four.

That was another reason in her wanting to stay busy, hospital visits. She had to waste time until it was time to take the long boring journey back for a doctor's visit for the status of her unloved yellow cast. The awkward plaster was already driving her up the wall and back and she was ready for it to be taken off (hell if she had it her way she would saw it off herself to save time). The idea was an amusing one, though only amusing because knowing Rin's luck if someone actually gave her a saw she'd end up having an extended stay in a hospital bed with no way of leaving. It didn't matter that as of midnight she was now legally responsible for herself, the only difference was that this time the state would not be picking up the bill as they always had. This time it was all on her.

This birthday, her eighteenth birthday was seen as a curse and a blessing. A blessing since she was finally seen as an adult in the eyes of the law and she did not have to worry about any more adoption interviews, she didn't have to report to anyone besides herself and that itself was enough to give her a fit of giggles and impromptu dancing. Eighteen was also a curse, it meant that her days at the orphanage were numbered and soon she would be forced onto her own. Okay, so if she really wanted to stay she could; after all, Sango wasn't going to make Rin leave when everyone there knew it would throw Kohaku into a hissy fit. It didn't sound that horrible; however, if there was one person Sango couldn't say no to it would be Kohaku, especially since he was her last living relative and her baby brother.

Rin wouldn't play that card so she could stay though. To say the least she was excited to begin a new chapter in her very unexciting life. She could always persuade Sango to hire her on as staff until she could find something more permanent and then she would plunge herself into the real world. Of course she'd have to eventually find a place to live, maybe some cheap apartment complex or a studio, but even cheap was expensive and the thought made her shudder. What she needed was a nice quiet desk job, something that wouldn't in any way have the chance to be introduced to her clumsiness. That was asking a lot, she knew, but a girl could hope and Rin was hoping like it was nobody's business.

Shaking her head silently, Rin continued to brush the soggy mop back and forth across the old wooden floors. It would be needing a good waxing and she smiled thinking about all the kids who would go sliding across the floor in a pair of long socks. Shippo still got in on it each time and somehow wound up slipping down the stairs, and though it could be disastrous, he always popped back up unscathed with an enormous smile on his face. Some people got all the luck.

A song blared into her ear pieces and she felt all her thoughts disappear as she sang along to the music. She wasn't a born singer, truth be told she couldn't even stay on key let alone sing well, yet that knowledge didn't stop her from belting out the lyrics at the top of her lungs as the artist performed. There wasn't even a chance at her ever being a professional dancer, not with her lack of balance, and neither did that stop her from shaking her hips to the beat, at one point pretending like the mop in her hands was a microphone.

Rin was so caught up in her imagination that she hadn't heard the loud calling of her name several times. She could have seen him coming if she had been paying attention or at least had her eyes opened as she sang obnoxiously to the new song playing, but she didn't and when a hand clamped down on her shoulder, she screamed. The mop clattered to the ground and Rin spun around, losing her balance in the process and toppling over. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at the man in front of her, his blue eyes filled with warmth and his soft smile growing from cheek to cheek in an attempt to split his face in half.

"Are you okay?" He asked outstretching his hand and helping Rin to her feet. "I didn't mean to scare you like that."

"Yeah yeah," she said grumbling under her breath at the now broken CD player. "I bet you didn't Miroku."

Miroku feinted being upset, his hand clutching his chest over dramatically but he couldn't rid himself of the toothy grin on his face so like his innocence, it was wasted. Rin noticed that this was the first time she had seen the man in front of her in what felt like ages, even longer since she had seen a real smile on his face and she wondered if everything with him was okay. She remembered him and Sango leaving several times during the day when the younger children were either in school or being watched by the other older residents and they never seemed to mind as much when she had to go in for a check up.

Maybe they knew someone who was there, she thought to herself allowing Miorku to throw his arms around her for a brotherly hug. He was looking better, she decided pinching his arm when he began squeezing her too tightly. There was no doubt in her mind why he was there now, he had obviously been given the duty to take her, thus saving her from a long and uneventful cab or bus ride downtown where the hospital would be.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked taking picking up the mop and leaning it against a nearby wall.

"Whenever you are my darling!" If there was one thing Miroku was good at it was his ability to charm or sweet talk anything with a pair of breasts and she laughed as he looped his arm around hers and directed her out of the orphanage doors.

The check up wasn't all that bad, her leg was healing, but slowly, very slowly and it would be easily a while longer until the damned thing would be able to come off. Until then she was instructed, several times to take it easy and not to rough house (as if she did it intentionally!), and at one point she swore Miroku wanted to say "boys will be boys doctor" because that's what he had said at the last visit, ignoring the fact that everyone in the room knew that underneath her clothes were no trace of the male anatomy.

__To make it up to her, Miroku bought her lunch and to take revenge on him, Rin ate everything she could push down her throat. It wasn't a good feeling once everything had begun to settle, but she wasn't going to voice her upset stomach anymore than Miroku wanted to give up and become monogamous no matter how much he 'loved' Sango. They funny thing was they hadn't left the hospital yet, and Miroku said it was because he wanted to check up on someone he knew before they left.

Normally Rin didn't mind; however, she was tired now and honestly she did not want to spend the rest of her birthday in the hospital with sick people. Who cared if she didn't have any other plans for the day, she could as well have spent it sleeping and being lazy, at least that sounded better, but Rin didn't protest as Miroku guided her down countless hallways. Rin didn't think about how familiar the hallways were since she had been down practically every hallway except the morgue (people actually paid attention their to the living), they had actually marched her right back to where she was supposed to be and that had kept her from going back indefinitely.

"Where are we going?" She asked once, doubting Miroku was listening as he counted room numbers.

Rin knew she didn't have to follow him, she could have just turned around and walked out, she had enough money to catch a cab or ride the bus, yet she followed obediently in hopes that where ever he was taking her had a chair so she could sit down. So much for taking it easy. They reached their destination a few minutes later and out of everything Rin could have possibly expected, what she saw wasn't anything close. Long silver hair was pulled into a tight braid and amber eyes watched her curiously as Miroku spoke to him. There was a girl in the hospital bed closest to the window, her eyes watching the two males curiously, a thin smile on her lips.

The hair is what gave it away and Rin stood dumbfounded for what felt like forever as she stared at the strange man. She remembered sneaking into this room a little more than a month before when she originally was forced into endure a yellow plaster cast to watch television and hiding between the beds. She remembered being found and the electricity. She remembered her blush and Sesshomaru.

"Who is that?" The silver haired man said pointing his finger at Rin. "Did you and Sango break up?"

Miroku stammered with incomprehensible words and Rin rolled her eyes as she crossed the room over to where the man sat watching her. "No, I'm from the orphanage that Sango runs, Miroku took me to my appointment because, as gimpy as I seem to have become can't go anywhere by myself. Thank you very much."

"Rude much?" he replied narrowing his eyes curiously at her.

"No, not really," Rin said shrugging her shoulders as if she were commenting on the wind. "I'm just tired and my leg kinda hurts, it being broken and all."

InuYasha's laugh was loud and sharp and Rin decided she liked the way it sounded. He wasn't really that bad of company, the two of them just seemed out of sorts. Then again why wouldn't they be she had no idea, they had been in the hospital longer than she had in years and if they distasted it as much as she did, then there was no need to explain anything to her because she could sympathize.

"Sit down then," he said patting the bed he was on and helping her up when she accepted.

She learned his name was InuYasha and his companion was Kagome and it hit her like a ton of bricks when she was told about how exactly the two of them wound up in their state. It wasn't anything stupid like she assumed, but serious and the urge to give Kagome a hug was almost uncontrollable when the haunted look glazed her eyes. They were all right, she mused as she weaseled all three of them into a game of cards, Kagome and Miroku pulling up chairs as she dealt the cards out equally.

By the fifth game Rin was ready to call it quits, not because it wasn't fun, but because she was feeling more tired than she had in weeks easily. Resting her eyes or even napping sounded like a dream come true at the moment for her and placing down her last card she smiled hearing groans of defeat, she had won yet another hand. Quickly she had learned exactly how loud InuYasha became when playing a game riddled with competition and it warmed her heart. All three of the people with her were a few years her senior and they laughed and argued as care freely as she did with her few friends.

"One more game and I'm calling it quits," Rin said puling a stray strand of hair behind her ear watching Kagome, InuYasha's girlfriend she was told earlier, shuffle the cards and pass them out. "I'm tuckered out."

"Tuckered out?" InuYasha laughed lightly, his amber eyes glowing as he looked down at her. "I haven't heard anyone use that phrase since I was a child."

From the look on his face Rin could tell that he was submerged in an old memory, one that was pleasant and she found herself blushing as she picked up her cards. She could be friends with them, Rin decided biting down on her lower lip, they were decent people and with them she was comfortable. The thought made her smile as she played her hand, picking up from the deck and discarding. InuYasha, Kagome, and Miroku were the kinds of people that a girl like her could lean on, hell--that anyone could lean on if they needed the shoulder and she was thankful to have met them.

Rin only half-listened to the friendly chatter from her companions, her mind focused on her thoughts. How long would it last? She wondered tracing her index finger over the tip of the cards in her hand. Sure days like these were fun, unbelievably so, and yet she knew that soon there would be less and less until moments like the one she was having at the moment would disappear completely. How many days, weeks, or months did she have left of "easy" life and when it left would she ever get it back?

"Hey Rin it's your turn," Miroku called out, his hand touching her shoulder and thrown from her thoughts, she jumped, her eyes wide.

"Oh sorry!" She chuckled softly trying to keep the blush from her cheeks. "Guess I'm a more than a little tired."

Shifting her weight as she picked up a card from the pile, Rin glanced down at her cards with a heavy heart. She was no longer in the mood for cards, she realized, she wanted to be by herself to sort out her overwhelming depressing thoughts and she hated her momentary weakness. The cards in her hands were crap, there would be no winning this hand and she discarded the new arrival to her hand ending her turn. The sooner it was over, the sooner she would be able to go home, to the orphanage and in the end it's where Rin knew she belonged.

The sound of a door opening caught her ears as InuYasha laughed, his obvious pleasure at the turn of the game over exaggerated, although Rin's attention was completely focused on their new guest, his amber eyes closing in on her as fast as her eyes had him. The blush she had struggled to contain broke free, the heat from her cheeks and neck flushing out the gooseflesh on her arms.

Seeing Sesshomaru standing in the doorway wasn't something she expected, but she could feel her heart beating thunderously in her chest at the mere sight of him. His appearance tugged mercilessly at her emotions, the memory of the feel of his lips on her still fresh in her memory, the feel of his fingertips against her bare flesh making her almost breathless and she felt herself slipping.

"RIN!" Several different voices shouted her name followed by a pair or two of hands grabbing at her and it took her a moment to realize that she had slipped off her seat on InuYasha's hospital bed and onto the floor. Her blush darkened as Sesshomaru stared up at her, his hand wrapped around her upper arm, pulling her to her feet without an bat of an eyelash.

His long hair was pulled into a tight brain, wisps of the silvery strands framing his face taking away from the cutting edge of his cold gaze. Her mouth opened and closed like a suffocating fish as she tried to put words to her thoughts and Sesshomaru's perfectly shaped eyebrow rose with what she thought to be curiosity as she was righted, her butt smarting from her fall.

"Are you okay?" His baritone voice was low enough that she wondered if it was meant only for her ears and she nodded silently.

"Talk about falling head over heels," Miroku dragged the attention away and she heard the soft laughter from the rest of them. "I guess it's safe to say that our game has ended."

"So what brings you to my humble hospital room Sesshomaru?" Rin could hear the cockiness in InuYasha's voice and knew immediately that there would be a similar grin on his face. "It can't be for pleasure otherwise you wouldn't be here… What's up?"

Sesshomaru's long fingers disappeared from Rin's arm and she took a minute to steal a look at him. He was simply beautiful, his light colored silk shirt, black slacks and completely edible and in the darkness of her thoughts she refused to chastise herself because she already knew what his kiss tasted like and it was pure heaven. It wasn't the time or the place for such thoughts, though it wasn't like anyone else could hear them so who really cared?

"I had a call from the DA's office this morning and I figured you'd want to know in person, like some sentimental fool." His mentioning of the District Attorney escaped no one's attention and the small hospital room fell silent waiting for Sesshomaru to tell them whether it was good news or bad news he had brought with him. "And it appears that even if Kagome should be charged with unjustifiable self-defense, they are going to drop the case against her due to recent behavior of the investigating detective."

"In other words?" Rin wanted to laugh at InuYasha, they already knew what it meant but what he was getting at by having Sesshomaru spell it out she didn't know.

Sesshomaru sighed heavily, his fingers touching the bridge of his nose as if the touch would instantly alleviate a certain pain. Rin guessed it was because Sesshomaru and InuYasha were brothers and maybe InuYasha wanted to make sure it was the honest-to-god's truth and his brother wasn't playing a fast one (not like Rin believed Sesshomaru was the type to play mean jokes like that, he was too serious).

"Congratulations Ms. Higurashi," his voice was monotone and Rin decided immediately that she did not like it at all. "You've gotten away with murder."

"Well isn't that just a little rude," Rin hadn't realized she vocalized her thoughts until everyone's eyes were on her. She hadn't meant for anyone to hear it, let alone Sesshomaru so she only paused for a second before continuing. "You could have at least shown a little tact for such an intelligent attorney, I'm sure."

InuYasha's laughter exploded from his mouth at her words and bounced off the tile floors and walls as if he had been hooked up to a microphone and if it were possible Rin's blush would have become permanent. She didn't understand what was so funny about it, in fact, she felt more of a jerk than Sesshomaru had been by putting him on the spot like that and she bit down on her lower lip to force back the guilt.

"Um--well, I think it's time for me to head back to the orphanage," Rin eased herself to her feet and when she saw Miroku get up she frowned. "Stay Miroku, you guys need to celebrate the good news. I'll just take the bus, it's okay. I'm a big girl."

"You sure?" She already knew he didn't want to leave, not yet, but she couldn't stay and that was okay with her.

"Positive."

It wouldn't take her long to get back home, not longer than an hour, two max and when she got back she'd go to bed and sleep away the rest of her birthday. It had been a good day, she told herself putting the chair back against the wall where it belonged, ignoring the gazes of everyone else in the room. She was happy for InuYasha and Kagome, deeply so; however, she still considered herself a stranger to them and that her presence wasn't needed (that and she doubted she was old enough to do their kind of celebrating anyway).

"Oh hey Rin!" Miroku called out to her as she exited the door and despite wanting to, she turned around, it would be rude of her to just leave and though she was known to be curt, she wasn't rude. "If I don't get to see you later, happy birthday!"

Rin laughed as InuYasha and Kagome called 'happy birthday' to her as well and she smiled waving them goodbye. Turning around had been worth it after all, she told herself and she headed down the halls with a lighter heart. Of course Miroku had been one of the only people who had actually remembered that it was her birthday, not that she had hung around the orphanage long enough to jog anyone else's memory, but it would have definitely been nice if she had gotten a nice word from others.

That was besides the point, she reminded herself heading towards the bus stop in front of the hospital. It didn't matter if people forgot when her birthday was, what mattered was that they remembered her in general and she shook her head for her childishness. How often had she forgotten things, sometimes important things and no one gave her a second glance at her forgetfulness and here she was being sour over a one time thing. It was unbecoming and she forced the thoughts from her head as she settled on the bench seat. The bus stopped at her location once every twenty minutes so it wouldn't be a long wait for her and taking a deep breath she let her thoughts drift somewhere happier.

"You owe me an explanation," think of the devil and he shall arrive and Rin jumped as something heavy and warm fell over her shoulders.

Sesshomaru towered over her, his amber eyes watching her like a hawk and Rin tried hard not to blush seeing his coat on her person. Sure it was summer, but the breeze had been a chilly one and the smell of Sesshomaru was doing things to her that she didn't want to feel at the moment. He was right though, she did owe him an explanation for his wallet coming into her possession and she had promised him during their last meeting that she would give it to him.

"Come walk with me," Rin didn't think Sesshomaru was an impatient man; nonetheless he wasn't waiting for her answer. "I'll take you home later."

"Oh-okay," he didn't offer her his hand as she rose to her feet and she wasn't expecting him to.

Rin reminded herself that Sesshomaru wasn't the boogie man, he would not hurt her (she hoped) and that it was perfectly safe to walk with him. Her opinion of him wasn't merely based on his kissing techniques or the searing heat of his fingers when they had been pressed against her, but the way he carried himself and his behavior with InuYasha. She was certain that he didn't have to help his brother (she remembered Sesshomaru saying it the first day she met him), and yet he had and though she doubted he'd admit to it, he had a soft spot for family.

Then again, maybe she was giving Sesshomaru way too much credit for his actions, maybe InuYasha was paying him and at that thought she wanted to laugh. InuYasha looked like a lot of things, but well off enough to pay for Sesshomaru's time no matter if he was family or not was not one of them. They walked side by side at a slow pace, her leg slowing them down to a snail's pace and at first she felt self-conscious about it, although after a moment it was forgotten. His hand brushed her as they walked, each contact sending gooseflesh up her arms and down her back and butterflies in her stomach.

"Explain," he didn't sound cold, but curious and it stole away some of the tenseness in her muscles she didn't realize had been there.

"Well, you see my friend Shippo and I--" Her first thought was to start where Shippo had pulled out the wallet, but it made no sense and she shook her head, she'd have to start at the beginning. "No, okay so the day after I met you…"

The words began spilling out of her mouth like a twisted tale and she kept her gaze on her feet as they continued down the street. She didn't know how he would react, hell she figured it would be bad since she personally didn't like to believe in coincidences, but this one was different. Her face heated up as she found herself telling Sesshomaru about Kohaku and her experimental kiss with Shippo and wondered if he would think badly on her. After all, it wasn't like she kissed every guy she knew, because she hadn't known him when she basically threw herself at him, but it seemed that way to her.

Even after she had finished her explanation, she kept going on as if she couldn't stop. She rambled on about her mixed feelings with Kohaku and with him, about how she had dreams every night about Sesshomaru and the feel of his lips. It was as though she couldn't click off her thoughts from her voice and when she noticed Sesshomaru had stopped walking she was afraid she had said too much and came off as weird and crazy.

That was the last thing she wanted, especially for today and she bit down on her lower lip until she tasted blood. He would think of her as crazy and walk away and that would be the last that she would see of Sesshomaru, she was most certain of that now and she had to hold back her tears. Rin heard the sound of his shoes against the pavement and she felt her insides churn violently, he was leaving her. Funny part was that she couldn't say a word to save face and she hated herself even more than before.

"Rin look at me," a gasp slipped from her mouth as Sesshomaru's fingers curled under her chin forcing her head up and her eyes onto his. They were clouded over with an emotion she wasn't familiar with and yet it stole her breath away. "Happy birthday."

She hadn't been expecting him to stick around, and pulling her into a kiss was at the bottom of her list of reactions from the man in front of her. However, whatever reaction she had expected, she instantly melted into his touch as his lips brushed hers. Hunger for him swept through her like a tidal wave and when they met again, her fingers curled around his shoulders and pulled him flush against her, her mouth taking what he was giving her and demanding more.

Every thought drained from her mind as her body was crushed between Sesshomaru's and the brick wall some building, his muscles rippling underneath her fingertips and she gasped arching her body wanting desperately for them to combine and become one. Indescribable heat pooled in her stomach, her heart pounding in her ears and chest as his hands slipped down her neck and over her shoulders trailing down her back like a long lost lover. Sesshomaru was doing things to her, bad things that she knew would later get her into trouble but she couldn't pull away from his touch if her life depended on it.

A moan escaped her lips as Sesshomaru's left hers, his hot mouth gasping for breath. It was plain to tell that he wanted her as much as she did him, his need pressing against her hip and her body shivered as his thigh parted hers and touched her more intimately than anyone had. She was desperately trying to put her thoughts in order, to regain control over the situation at hand and no matter how hard she tried her body wanted him and that was that. His fingers slipped underneath her shirt, the cold digits making her gasp as they slipped underneath her bra and glided across her already stiff nipples, her body aching and demanding more.

She didn't care if there were people on the streets watching her and Sesshomaru, it was dark enough that they couldn't see everything and it only added more excitement to her already humming desire. Her nails dug instinctually into his shoulder as his large fingers pinched her, stealing another gasp from her lips and a jerky thrust of her hips making him moan in return. If they didn't stop now she was positive Sesshomaru would pull down her pants and slip into right in public and though the thought had her trembling, getting arrested wasn't something either of them could afford.

"Ss-Sesshomaru--" She hissed his name out between a gasp and moan, his teeth nipping at her neck and she almost forgot what she was supposed to be doing. "Please… Not here, oh god, please Sesshomaru--your place…"

With her plea, his entire body retracted from hers as if she was diseased and it stung. Her body was trembling underneath his jacket and tears swelled in her eyes, what was she doing? Rin didn't get a chance to mentally debate it as she was swung up into the air like a sack of potatoes. She cried out in shock, her hands clutching the back of Sesshomaru's shirt as if he would drop her at any second. Her hair fell over her shoulders and she struggled to look at her surroundings only to see that darkness had already fallen while she had been occupied.

"Sesshomaru?" One of his hands rested dangerously high on the back of her thigh and it tensed shooting jolts of electricity into her making her ache with need.

"My place," it was the only explanation he gave her and her eyes widened as her body trembled from his words.

There was no doubt in her mind what would happen once they arrived at Sesshomaru's residence and it only filled her with more heat to the point where she thought she'd burst into flames from inside out. There was a promise in his tone, one she took seriously and all the struggle went out of her arms and she simply held onto him desperately hoping they made it to his place without him dropping her. She wanted to feel his promise and had no problem holding it against him if his touch was enough to drive her to the edge.

E/N: My story "Safe In Love" has been kicking my ass lately... I swear I haven't gotten anything else done it seems because of that... I'm surprisingly lucky that I got this part done since the moment "because of you" came on my zune it had instant inspiration... so after I finish my updates I'm trekking back home to the dead internet zone to continue writing part five! lol

Thank you all for your patience, I appreciate it.


	5. Chapter 5

_** Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides my vehicle and my pets... and even then I think they might just own me.. lawlz**_

___Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. _

_** So Emotional**_

_** By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_** Part Five**_

It was almost funny that everything started at a hospital, he told himself running his fingers through his tangled hair. He blamed his half brother for the predicament he was in, for his weakness. After all, if InuYasha hadn't gotten himself involved with Kagome and her problems in the first place then none of this would have happened.

Kagome would have never broken up with fiancée Naraku and in return he wouldn't have had to hunt her and InuYasha down like wild animals and she wouldn't have had to kill her then ex-fiancee in order to protect herself and InuYasha. InuYasha wouldn't have been shot and they both wouldn't have wound up in the hospital, InuYasha on the brink of death and he wouldn't have had to get them out of trouble. Sesshomaru would have never met Rin--no first kiss, no first touch and she definitely would have never wound up in his bed naked.

It was safe to say that he blamed InuYasha for all of this and more, but he wasn't angry at his brother in the slightest bit. How was his stupid half brother supposed to know that this slip of a girl, barely legal would have caused such a ripple in Sesshomaru's life like a stone in a pond. It was ridiculous, almost disgusting, but then again he couldn't help being drawn to her. She was plain, young, but it was her essence that had ensnared him in the end.

This mess he was in was completely his fault, he had fallen predator to his primal emotions, touching her soft skin, his fingertips itching to roam over the soft peach colored flesh to feel her reaction to him and he got more than he ever expected. The memory of the way her breath hitched, the way her muscles quivered made his loins stir and he had to bite back a groan as she moved in her sleep, her hand touching his need innocently. It was hard to think rationally around her and he knew that wasn't a good thing for him in the long run.

He cursed her seductive siren's voice, her childish ramblings as she spoke earlier of how she came to have his wallet, her drawn out story unleashing something in him he hadn't known existed. There were too many men in her life, he counted four, five including him and only one of them he could say for certain was not a romantic interest. His brother was already knee deep in with Kagome and he doubted his brother was the type to skirt around with a girl while in a "relationship" so to say and that was thinking highly of his brother.

That left three alien people that Sesshomaru wasn't sure about, no matter what the girl next to him claimed who posed a possible problem for him. Sesshomaru had no clue to why he was even thinking that he wanted anything to do with Rin other than their little "romp" so to say, but the very idea of her clutching another the way she had him had his blood boiling and not in a good way. A part of him was unwilling to think of anything but Rin, her ebony hair cascading down her shoulders covering her breasts from his gaze, her head thrown back in the throes of passion, her fingers touching him, teasing him and--

Stop! He hissed mentally throwing the soft silk sheets from his body and climbing out of his bed. It wasn't wise to think of her in the carnal way, not when it would be so easy to turn to her and coax her to waking and into another mind blowing orgasm (or two). He needed to get his head on straight and couldn't while there was a naked and very willing woman in his bed. The air was cold on his exposed flesh, gooseflesh raising on his arms and tiredly he went to the thermostat and turned it up, hoping it would warm up soon.

This was wrong, more wrong than anything he had ever done and he slipped on his robe fleeing to the comforts of his living room. He wasn't the type of man to be consumed completely by female, especially one like Rin and he poured himself a drink trying to figure out where he had lost his mind at. There was no way he could go on and let things continue the way they were definitely headed. This thing, whatever it was, that was growing between the two of them would have to stop immediately.

No budding romance, no midnight meetings--Sesshomaru would have to put a stop to all the nonsense he'd wound up in. His drink burned his throat as it slid into his stomach, the warmth of the alcohol stealing away the making of a migraine and leaving him empty in silence. Letting Rin come (no pun intended) there had been a mistake he had temporarily overlooked and now it was staring him in the face and it was not an attractive sight.

Finishing off the amber liquid in his glass, Sesshomaru put it on the counter before the urge for another touched him. He needed to be level headed and at the top of his game and allowing himself another drink was not an idea he wanted to linger on. He would do things on his terms, but at the moment the next step would be to see exactly how Rin's reaction would be when she woke. Either was he was going to lose something and he wanted it to be something he didn't need.

Morning had come sooner than anticipated and tiredly, Rin yawned, her limbs stretching to ease out the kinks in back. She vaguely remembered why the sheets covering her were ridiculously soft and she smashed down the urge to bolt up like some surprised child. There was no doubt in her mind that she and Sesshomaru had made it back to his apartment, his lips ravishing her and awakening a fire in the pit of her belly. Their actions had left her relaxed and mushy in some ways, yet tense and nervous in others.

How was she supposed to react now that they had spent the night together in less than platonic ways? She didn't think clinging to his arm was her style, nor his and the thought of being overly casual was almost annoying. Should she try and make small talk? What was morning after etiquette? Rolling over onto her back, Rin suppressed a shudder from the icy feel of the sheets next to her. Sesshomaru had obviously risen before her and she ran her fingers through her slightly matted hair trying to chase away the final remnants of sleep.

There was no point in her hanging around, it would be too awkward and pulling her thoughts together she slid off the impossibly comfortable bed and picked up her strewn about clothing. It took her a little longer than she would have liked to redress, her teeth worrying on her bottom lip as she searched in vain for her panties. Where had they gone to?

Oh well, she sighed heavily rolling her eyes as she picked up her cell phone and checking the screen. There were no missed calls and one text from Shippo and Rin frowned. It annoyed her that no one seemed to care that she never made it back the night before and that no one bothered to try and get a hold of her. It made her feel unimportant and worthless; however, it gave her the courage to leave Sesshomaru's room.

She couldn't stay there and wasting no time she dialed Shippo's number hoping that he was awake and willing for company. The luxurious apartment was silent, nothing out of place, a complete array of orderliness and emptiness and Rin sighed heavily again. It wasn't even comforting that Sesshomaru wasn't there, as if she wasn't worth his time and though she agreed, him rubbing it in did not feel like a bed of roses.

"Hullo?" Shippo's voice was scratchy and hoarse, he had been asleep and now Rin felt guilty for waking him.

"Hey it's me, sorry for waking you." she replied softly trying to keep her voice light. "Do you think you could come get me? I need a ride home."

"Home?" he suddenly sounded more alert and she mentally groaned as she unlocked the door. "Where are you?"

"I-well," a hushed sigh drowned out her thoughts and Rin snapped her head to the side feeling heat smack her in the face. The sudden sound had startled her, her previous thoughts of being alone now disproved though it would have been better if it had been just her.

Sesshomaru sat off to the side of the kitchen at what she thought to be a desk. His back was slouched over and his fisted hand resting on his cheek the only thing between his face meeting the top of his desk. Long silver hair flowed over his shoulders and his soft bangs curtained his face; yet by the lack of moment Rin was surprised to say the least that Sesshomaru was fast asleep. There were papers laying in front of him in an organized mess and the urge to run her fingers through his hair was almost uncontrollable.

"Rin?"

"Oh," a shiver errupted down her back, her heart pounding wildly in her chest "I'll--I, I'll explain things when you get here."

"Okay," Shippo was completely awake now and his voice helped her push down the emotions bubbling up in the back of her head. "Where exactly is here?"

She couldn't help but slip closer to where Sesshomaru sat sleeping, her lip throbbing underneath the pressure of her teeth. There was no way she could stay, not now at least, nevertheless she wouldn't just up and leave like some flouzy. Hunting down a blank piece of paper, she slid the pen from Sesshomaru's relaxed fingers and quickly jotted down a note for him for when he joined the land of the living.

"Rin?" Her friend's voice had gone an octave higher and she frowned at the tone. "Is everything okay?"

Ignoring the thought of telling Shippo never mind and crawling back into Sesshomaru's bed, she let herself out of the expensive home prattling off the address as she went. Shippo would be waiting for an answer when he came for her and he would be the only one who heard it. As far as she was concerned, she had a good time, but her night with Sesshomaru had never happened. She had to forget about him and move on or else she would undoubtedly become obsessed with him and that was never a good thing.

She had too many complications, too many conflicting emotions and there was no point in rushing into something she wasn't even sure she wanted. Granted she was more than positive that she could easily get used to Sesshomaru's presence, the heat of their passion was proof to that. The only problem was how fickle she felt. From his reaction, Rin knew that there was definitely something between her and Sesshomaru, maybe something mind blowing and wonderful; although she wasn't sure if it was the right time to try and explore the possibilities.

After all hadn't she been smitten with Kohaku not that long before? Hadn't she had feelings for him that she couldn't ignore, couldn't control? And now, well now those feelings felt muted and she wasn't willing to put him on the back burning when for so long she had wanted only for him to notice her as the woman that she was. Rin didn't want to have a wishy-washy disposition, didn't want Kohaku to think that she had just been playing him for a fool if there was really something there and the only thing it would cost her was Sesshomaru.

E/N: Can't think of a reason why this chapter was soo short besides it compelling me to leave it there. I'm working on planning out the next chapter... and working on other stories. Hope more will be out soon!


	6. Chapter 6

** Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, or anything else for that matter.. Okay, so I own some stuff, just not InuYasha... If I did it would probably suck! lol**

_ This part was harder for me to write, but maybe not as others showing as how fast this came out... And for some reason I never update quickly... lol Mad skills here... _

_ So Emotional_

_ By Miztikal-Dragon_

Part Six

If there had been a stronger word for freezing, then Rin would have used it as her word of the week. It wasn't quite winter, or even fall for that matter and she could already see the white plumes of hot air as it escaped her lips. The days had all started bleeding together and she could barely tell what day it was let alone what was up and down and exhaustion pulled at her like a hungry cat. The wrist watch that Shippo had given her as a belated birthday present read six-thirty, the bulky piece of cheap plastic and metal telling her that it had once been the said boy's and it made her smile.

Of course she was yet again, running late and if she didn't hurry she would get scolded at. Her sneakers bounced off the pavement as she sped up her pace, not ignoring that safety was more important than being late. After all, the gaudy yellow cast hadn't been off long enough for her to forget and no one wanted to be forced to deal with her again if she slipped and re-broke her leg. Spotting the medium sized building down the block, Rin picked up her pace, weaving through other pedestrians, their dirty looks and sometimes not so pleasant words simply gone unheard.

The bell above the door jingled as the metal object swung open. Not surprising the room was empty and Rin sheepishly laughed as a woman walked into the room, eye brow raised showing the teenager how un-amusing she was. Taking a moment to let her heart beat quiet down and air to fill her lungs, Rin rested her hands on her thighs and hunched over, her heaves for air the only sound around her.

"Is it that time already Rin?" A kind voice laughed musically as a clip board hit the reception desk and Rin held up her hand begging for a moment to catch her breath.

"Sorry," She huffed reaching into her back pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper, her eyes glancing up to see the tall man, his light brown hair much shorter from the last time Rin had seen him. It looked better, she mused, blushing when the tall man blinked at her. "It took me forever and a day to get my paycheck cashed and get down here. I didn't think I was going to make it."

His musical laughter hit her again and handing over the money order which had once been her hard earned paycheck to the woman in scrubs and waited patiently for a hand written receipt. The plain woman handed the slip of paper to Rin and looked over her shoulder, the teenager instantly forgotten. "Don't forget Dr. Akitoki, the new shipment of food has come in as well."

"Uh-" Rin felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment as the young doctor smiled at her and rubbed her the back of her head. "I'll have to pass on the food this time, I don't have anything extra left and I don't think I'd be allowed to carry it on the bus."

"Nonsense," Doctor Akitoki waved his hand in the air, his smile not once faltering. "I can see you're honestly trying and I'll just give you the two week supply no charge this time. How are the boys doing anyway?"

"Very difficult," Rin sighed heavily as she followed Doctor Akitoki, her veterinarian around the reception desk and down the short hallway. "But they're doing fine."

It hadn't even been two days after her birthday when she had stumbled (quite literally) over a decent sized box in the park. Shippo had bet her ten bucks that she couldn't walk with her eyes closed without falling within the first five minutes and albeit it had been a bet she lost, it had surprised her with something she hadn't been expecting. Inside the beat up and abandoned box had been two small sleeping puppies. They hadn't been newborns, her and Shippo weren't complete idiots when it came to that knowledge; however they had still been rather young.

Rin had 'awed' and 'ooh how precocious' herself silly at first glance, but with the second she was silently horrified. The two pups were weak and skinny, emaciation apparent and she was definitely sure about flea infested. The worst part wasn't how pitiful the two creatures seemed, no that was a slice of heaven compared to the sight of the animals attached together.

She hadn't been sure if what she seeing was right; however, when she had tried to pick one of the puppies up the realization that they were definitely attached by the skin of their stomachs was enough to make her cry. Never once had she seen a pair of conjoined dogs, not even on all the internet searches and 'Ripley's believe it or not' television show and she felt her heart jump into her throat. It was safe to say that Rin eagerly pulled off her sweater and wrapped the two puppies in it and demanded Shippo to take her to the nearest animal hospital.

When they reached the decent hospital on Shippo's scooter, Rin wasted no time and rushed into the office, tears pouring down her eyes as she explained the situation to the nurse and then later Doctor Hojo Akitoki. The first answer from the veterinarian was to humanely put the animals down; after all, they were obviously abandoned by their owner and the costly price of surgery and antibiotics and other medical costs would be out of the question.

For Rin euthanasia wasn't an answer she allowed herself to listen to. Instead she pleaded, begged and even cried harder for the doctor to help them, to work with her if she volunteered to take full responsibility for the conjoined puppies in her arms. If it had been any other veterinarian, Rin was certain she would have been turned away, but the light brown haired doctor had soft spots and calmly led Rin into a room and began his examination.

Of course, major surgery--especially when it came to detaching the two animals from each other came with risks, risks that were explained to Rin and still she insisted to continue. Appointments were made, paperwork and payment arrangements drawn up and two months later Rin was the proud owner of two mixed breed puppies and one hefty bill.

Finding a job had been the easiest thing Rin had come by, but the easy part ended there. One part time job turned into two part time jobs and if she wasn't running around like a chicken with her head cut off then she was either at the animal hospital helping with anything they would let her or at the orphanage desperately trying to train the two puppies that never seemed to stop eating---or growing for that matter.

Surprisingly Sango okayed for Rin to house the animals at the orphanage, on the strict rules that Rin would take care of everything that they required and she didn't slack off there either. It wasn't as hard as she had thought it was going to be, not when Kohaku would offer his help and the other children were more than willing to run around screaming giving the growing dogs the exercise they needed.

"Would you like me to give you a lift home?" Curious brown eyes glanced back at her and Rin felt her cheeks flush as Dr. Akitoki lifted the heavy bags and tossed them over his shoulder.

"If you don't mind," she told him taking a bag of her own. "I still have work later and I need to get back home as soon as possible."

Rin was grateful for the veterinary doctor's assistance, the large bags almost bigger than her small frame and knowing that she wouldn't have to attempt walking home by herself or asking Shippo to try and fit them like puzzle pieces on his scooter with her as well, helped ease her mind. She was surprised by Dr. Akitoki's vehicle, instead of the lush luxury car most high-paid career men normally bought, it was a humbled-almost broken down vehicle that should have belonged to a starving artist or college student. The simplicity of the man in front of her had her smiling as they placed the heavy bags into the trunk, it was refreshing to see and if she hadn't felt so overwhelmed she would have commented on it.

With her things in the trunk, Rin patiently waited while Dr. Akitoki fetched his belongings and returned to her side, unlocking the doors so she could climb in the passenger side. The engine roared to life and soft music filtered in through the stereo speakers, her companion's easy voice drifting into the background of her mind as she gazed out the window. How long had she been working, how long had it been since she had gotten a proper break and just had time to relax? She understood that with age came responsibility, that was completely understandable, but how much responsibility was enough for life to be satisfied with her?

Her life had never been exciting, never been a new experience everyday, yet for a while it had been interesting. She wasn't saying that it was boring because it wasn't by a long shot; however, it was just emptier as of late. The reasoning of why wasn't lost on her and wasn't left up for review either, but in truth ignored all together. If she had time to waste daydreaming of things and people that she no longer allowed herself to see, then she had time to think of something productive.

The ride was ridiculously short with her mind wandering into uncharted territories and she cursed under her breath for not paying better attention to the man next to her as his brown eyes watched her with questioning curiosity. She tried to tell herself it was merely the exhaustion she was beginning to feel, that with enough sleep she would be as lively as she had been months before, nevertheless, she couldn't even tell herself that. "I'm so sorry Dr. Akitoki, I think I'm more exhausted than I thought, I didn't hear a word you said."

"It's okay," a small red blush sprinkled over his cheeks and she fought the urge to raise her eyebrows. "And please, call me Hojo."

Hojo? Thousands of alarms began shouting in her mind as he graced her with a timid smile and her throat ran dry. This wasn't happening, she told herself as a masculine hand touched her shoulder with a gentleness that shouldn't have been offered from her dog's veterinarian. Oh dear god no, the screams went into overdrive as Hojo repeated himself, his invitation for dinner sounding off a siren's call that made her stomach churn. Why of all people did it have to be him asking her for lunch, for dinner, asking her on a date for fuck's sake?

"Doctor Akitoki--Hojo," she corrected herself desperately trying to keep her emotions tightly woven together. All she needed was a few more minutes to keep bearings gathered and she's be okay, just a few measly minutes and she prayed for it. "I'm flattered, I really am, but right now I've got to much on my plate. Between work and the boys, I don't even have time for myself. Maybe some other time, it does sound good though."

She knew half-truths could only get her so far, especially about mixing business with pleasure--which she wasn't a bit interested in, albeit offending the man in front of her wasn't one her priorities either. His smile widened with the last of her response, hope flickering in his eyes and Rin exited his humble vehicle as nonchalantly as possible. She wasn't leading him on, not really anyway and if things worked out, after the bill was paid she would be shopping around for a new veterinarian and that she was one-hundred percent determined on.

Convincing the young doctor that she didn't need further help carrying the large dog food bags had been difficult, borderline impossible, and yet with in moments she was struggling to hold the bags piled in her arms and watch, patiently waiting for Hojo's vehicle to disappear. It was the longest five minutes of her life, she decided as the gate latched behind her, her voice calling out for help to the boys sitting on the steps by the front door.

Instead of laughter or male voices and arms to help, Rin heard the distinct loud bark and the panting breaths and her blood froze. "Ah-Un! No! Stop!"

She didn't need to see them to know the two large beasts were charging full force towards her, her first mistake being calling out knowing they were close by. Powerful shoulders collided into her and Rin cried out in surprise and pain as she was knocked to the ground, the heavy bags toppling on her as well as the two boney bodies of the dogs she had adopted. Long wet tongues licked her, large paws pushed on her shoulders and she fought back the tears that were threatening to consume her.

The two dogs chattered, their soft yips and yaps fluttering in her ears demanding attention and Rin groaned loudly as her hands met with soft fur and she patted the eager heads. She was suddenly bone tired, her muscles aching and screaming at her, but she ignored it as she forced herself to sit up and acknowledge the black, white and gray colored shadows in front of her.

They were beautiful creatures, Ah-Un, the patches of white and gray expanding over the dominant black lithe bodies. They were identical in every sense, down to the each patch of white or gray, their black noses and even the way they seemingly pranced as they walked. She knew the difference that separated them though, almost invisible to the eye and she smiled as the massive dogs laid on top of her, their long legs folding over her lap and each other like spaghetti noodles. One tiny little hint of pink on a purely midnight nose was enough for her to know the difference, one slight imperfection and neither animal could have her fooled.

"RIN!" She heard Kohaku's voice a few yards away and four flopping ears perked, their chatter quieting down as eerie blue-white eyes focused on the coming intruder.

Her boys were protective of her, oddly enough that it bordered possessiveness. It left her wondering if their attraction to her was more personal than instinctive, as if they honestly preferred everyone else far away from her and it was endearing and frustrating to say the least. Kohaku was one of the last people she wanted Ah-Un uncomfortable with, especially with how many different emotions swirled in her with the most brief of glances at the said boy.

Their soft growls were her only warning and it piqued her anger as Kohaku's hands helped her to her feet, leaving her dogs cushion less. "Oh hush, both of you!"

Kohaku's nervous laugh didn't ease any of her tense muscles and she graciously accepted help from him as the heavy bags were picked back up and brought inside. The two large dogs followed her, each at her side, their cold noses touching her the palms of her hands until she gave in and patted their heads. They might have been intimidating to Kohaku and even Miroku, but in reality they were nothing but talk, just big babies and she shook her head. Nobody understood Ah-Un like she did and that was okay because they weren't anyone else's but hers.

"Who was that older guy you came home with?" Kohaku's voice shook her out of her thoughts, a place she seemed to be drifting back to without pause.

"Older guy?" She repeated raising her eyebrows and when it clicked she felt a blush erupt on her face. "Oh you mean Hojo? He--"

"Hojo?"

The look the boy in front of her was giving wasn't one that she liked and anger flashed in her throat. "Doctor Akitoki, my veternarian stupid! He gave me a ride so I had a way to get the dog food home, jeez. Who did you think he was?"

When in doubt jump to the defensive, it was a horrible cycle between conversations with her and Kohaku, the thin line of his mouth signaling his distaste. "I don't know, but your taste seems to linger towards the older guys so I could only assume…"

"My tastes?" This wasn't a safe subject, hell it wasn't even a coherent one for Rin and Kohaku gave her no indication of knowing how truly confused she was at the moment. "What are you talking about Kohaku?"

A heavy frustrated sigh fell from Kohaku's lips as he stopped and faced her, his eyes angry and filled with another emotion Rin couldn't identify. She could feel Ah-Un stiffen at her sides and she willed them not to snap at the volcano of a boy in front of her, she didn't need them attacking him if they felt threatened, not with everything else piling up on her plate.

"I'm done," he growled throwing his arms into the air. "I've accepted the scholarship I've been telling you about for months, Miroku's taking me to the campus and to the dorms. I can't do this anymore. I don't feel the same way that you feel for me. I'll be leaving for college as soon as my bags are packed."

Rin didn't go after Kohaku as he stormed off, didn't move from her spot as she tried to rationalize his words into something she could understand. He didn't feel the same way? Had his feelings for her vanished into thin air? Had they dried up and blown away with the last storm? Or were they being sucked dry by something else and he was slipping away from her. She could feel the tears now, their hot moisture burning her eyes and cheeks, stinging her heart like a harpoon and she couldn't do anything but stand there like some idiot.

Kohaku was long gone before the week was out.

E/N: I'm feeling mentally ill right now, for no reason at all, but for the life of me I just couldn't find the correct spelling for Sesshomaru's two-headed dragon... But my version fits for right now... Maybe a little awkward, but it works. As for Kohaku's a little OOC-ness, all will be explained in the next chapter... that and for once I'd like to give him the "Douchebag of the year" award. okay, maybe not, but my rambling is pointless.

UNTIL NEXT TIME


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, or anything else for that matter.. Okay, so I own some stuff, just not InuYasha... If I did it would probably suck! lol**

_WOW! Three different updates in a week, I'm surprised by myself! This chapter was one of my favorites and you'll understand when you finish reading! lol It's getting interesting. I'll be starting on a new chapter for this and "Getting to know you" next and let's hope that I keep myself on this writing spree! _

**So Emotional**

_By Miztikal-Dragon_

_**Part Seven**_

_Child, don't follow me home__  
You're just too perfect for my hands to hold  
__If you choose to stay, you'll throw it all away  
__And I just want to take your innocence_

_"Innocence"--Halestorm_

Of all the emotions that Sesshomaru could have felt, it was odd that he was unable to decide between being upset with Rin's departure from his home or being relieved that her mind had obviously been on the same track as his own. Of course her departure simply did not phase him at first; after all, hadn't it originally been his plan to dump her to the side and put her under his hidden labels of 'hazardous mistakes'? Yes, he reminded himself level-headedly, he had decided, like he always would to remove her from the picture; thus removing any temptation that he might find himself harboring. Only she beat him to the punch, severing ties before he got the chance.

Then again, maybe that was the real problem behind his mind's apparent refusal to keep the girl from fading into the background. He didn't like the idea that he'd been dumped, even by a mere child he was planning on discarding. Nobody discarded him--he was Sesshomaru. Most women he had been with in the past had to be instructed to leave or he had left first; in fact, there weren't many he could honestly remember ever bringing home to his territory. Nevertheless, he classified Rin as a special case. It was only a temporary lapse of intelligent judgment on his behalf, one that he was not willing to make again so soon. He had to remind himself that Kagura was well aware of exactly where he lived, he had bedded her on more than several occasions and though the woman was proving to be quite dim-witted, she was an intelligent woman who deserved some chase. Maybe not much, but a hint of it at least.

The worst part hadn't been Rin leaving for Sesshomaru, because he easily slipped back into his routine. It was his idiot brother who seemed hell-bent on making this more complicated than it needed to be. Sesshomaru cursed InuYasha under his breath and to his half brother's face upon the received wedding invitation seven months after the night he chose to forget. The expensive and no doubt beautiful parchment informing Sesshomaru of a wedding, a joyous occasion and a request for his R.S.V.P, not forgetting a childish and sarcastic note written by his mangy brother which they both knew Sesshomaru could not ignore.

So begrudgingly, he donned a tuxedo and went to the rehearsal dinner and then, despite his wanting to, his half brother's wedding. To his surprise, it wasn't a complete waste and if anything, it had been a rather beautiful ceremony (not that he would admit it out loud). It was an outside debacle, arrays of whites, greens, blues and even a lavender or two and that was only the flowers. Now, Sesshomaru hadn't shown up to ruin InuYasha's big day, since, that amongst other things were below him, he was simply making an appearance out of obligation and nothing else. Nothing had been expected of him and though it bothered him just a tad, he brushed it from his thoughts. He didn't want to have to get his fingers dirty in his brother's affairs and the younger man understood.

For such a small ceremony, it was a big affair and as far as his observant eyes could see were people. He wasn't sure how many of them were family of either party or friends, none of them instantly recognizable by him, but it was as if an enormous flock of seagulls dressed in bright and gaudy colors (courtesy of the female persuasion) landed in front of him. A disgusting parade. He could understand the mechanics behind a marriage, especially one made of power and money, an arranged marriage, but not the fickle emotion people often spoke of--Love.

The four letter word wasn't tangible, nothing but a chemical imbalance brought on by lust, pathetic daydreams, and let us not forget, stupidity. To him love was something poor people made up to make an excuse for their existence, a pipe dream of hope they wanted to believe was real. Love was nonsense and to see that his brother; albeit, half brother was so thoroughly sucked into the charade was not surprising. Love and hope, hope and love, both four letter words and both ridiculous lies and they were beneath him in every sense.

Sesshomaru watched the merry charade, twirling guests, happy chatter and the makings of inebriation. It was safe to say that he was bored and wishing that he had thought to bring something to occupy his mind with anything other than his thoughts. He should have stuck around long enough for the ceremony to end and that should have been it, he should have left and continued on with his day as if it had never been interrupted and yet he didn't.

Halfway through the after party InuYasha and Kagome went around the banquet hall thanking people for coming, the long white strapless dress decidedly breathtaking even to Sesshomaru. They had expressed their appreciation at his arrival and he had obligingly given his congratulations, which the three of them knew he only party felt, if that and his brother graced Sesshomaru with a Cheshire grin.

"Rin's here," Sesshomaru felt his heart drop into his stomach, it wasn't his brother's attempt at conversation, but a statement that shook silent laughter from the younger man.

He told himself he didn't care that she was there and he said such coldly to InuYasha, yet the grin only widened and the urge to bring violence to the rather peaceful wedding had almost been uncontrollable. Despite the need to make the groom turn into a pile of bloody regret, Sesshomaru grit his teeth and was grateful that the now happy bride had pulled his pathetic half brother away from his certain death. It was the best decision made that day, he mused.

The seed however, had been planted and Sesshomaru found himself searching for her amongst the crowd, his amber eyes hunting her down as his next prey and it took a ridiculous amount of time until he captured her. Once he spotted her, he understood why it had taken him so long and she stole his attention like she had the night he had given into his weakness and her temptation. She wasn't dressed as if she were at a wedding, in fact, she was rather casual in her button up white collared shirt, the long sleeves rolled up to her elbows and the rather short faded denim skirt and a pair of black flats.

Her cheeks and neck were stained pink, probably from embarrassment and shame, he mentally scoffed as he drank her in from his place across the room. She had to be dimwitted dressed as she was and he criticized her every move, the way her hands were clasped together in front of her, strands of her hair spilling over her shoulders as she leaned forward to accept a beverage, preferably non-alcoholic he berated. She was nervous, he could tell by the way her shoulders were tensed, the straightness of her stance and when her eyes brushed past his gaze he saw her stiffen considerably.

His thoughts were going south as Rin's bottom lip disappeared underneath her teeth and he tried suppressing the shiver that hit him like lightning. He remembered how deliciously far that blush of hers could go, how her blunted fingernails dug into his skin and her breathless calls for more and he felt himself hard of breathing for a moment. How could she do this to him, even now when he had forced her from his mind? How did she had this power over him when he had not allowed her to have it?

The truth was that if she had stayed and done the typical obnoxious girl thing, he would have sent her packing faster than it took to blink, but she hadn't and it left an impression on him. He wondered what had been going on in her mind when she left him a note that simply said 'thanks, I had fun', and nothing else. What was her real reasoning for leaving him? Was it that she was aware that nothing would ever come of their night of 'passion' if he used it loosely in reference to himself, or was it that maybe she thought too highly of herself; that she believed she was in fact, too good for him?

His last thought was absurd, no girl, woman-child, or being was too good for him. They weren't good enough in his eyes and he felt irritation and even anger tickle his senses. He didn't like the train of thought he was having, didn't like the questioning why Rin had affected him so, had him so wrapped up, but he was determined to figure out why. There had to have been a logical explanation, one that coincided with his belief, that she had sobered up to the knowledge that he was out of her league, way out of it and to pursue him would be futile. Yes, that sounded better than the alternative which wouldn't leave him be.

He wanted answers to the questions running rampant in his mind. He had to know her reasoning for leaving like she had or else it would turn into an obsession that he didn't know how to control. It was hard forcing his eyes from her person, almost impossible; however, he managed it without drawing attention to himself. The soft tapping on his shoulder was the strength he clung to and coolly glancing over his shoulder, he avoided letting our a heavy sigh. Wasn't one congratulations enough for his new sister-in-law? The smile she gave him was annoying, nevertheless, he dragged his attention away from Rin and onto the bride in front of him.

"Dance?" She asked, her eyes watching him with a knowing expression and his immediate reaction was the need to snub his nose at her and walk away. "Please."

This time he did sigh over exaggeratedly, his hands gently pulling Kagome into his arms. The song was slow and cliché and the only reason he didn't take his leave was because the girl in front of him was able to keep up with his lead. It was obvious to him who exactly had been paying attention to the dancing classes suggested for the bride and groom and he would have complemented her if he had been less arrogant.

Her white gown fluttered around them, she was like a flower of white, her lace veil falling down her shoulders like a waterfall and her small blush coloring her cheeks pink. He hated to admit it to himself as it was against his policy of admitting to anything remotely incriminating to his persona, though he did, if only mentally that Kagome made a beautiful bride. There was no way he was going to relay it out loud, not to anyone and the woman swaying in his arms knew as much if not more.

No matter how beautiful the bride was it didn't keep his eyes glued to her, or his thoughts focused on the steps and timing, it only seemed a mean to the end. His eyes sought out the girl who was currently tormenting him, straining to catch those overly expressive eyes and dare her to try and escape. Where he glanced however, it seemed that Rin was purposely void of it, as if she was avoiding him, or merely a distant dream that kept him in purgatory.

"I want to personally thank you for everything you've done for InuYasha and myself," Kagome's voice floated into his ears attempting to steal his full attention and in spite he only allowed her half. "You've really given me my happy ending Sesshomaru and I don't think I could ever repay you."

"It is unnecessary," he told her following a bobbing head only for it not to be whom he thought it was. "I did not do it for either of you. Do not dwell on the past."

Kagome smiled at Sesshomaru, her light blush deepening as her eyes focused on something in front of her. Her fingers curled on his shoulder, the one in his hand squeezing his gently with understanding. Sesshomaru figured that with him he could come to respect Kagome, after all, any woman who could handle his half brother with elegant ease always had high marks in his book and the best feature was that she wasn't like other women who prodded for gossip, she simply took whatever answer he offered and left it at that. Now that was something to admire in a woman and in his opinion, InuYasha had been extremely lucky to acquire her.

"I think someone wants to cut in," Kagome's eyes sparkled and she pulled him closer as if whispering a secret into his ear. "Rin's a good girl, please don't break her heart."

Her hands released him and delicate fingers pointed behind him and curiously Sesshomaru turned, his gaze immediately catching Rin staring the two of them down, her eyes unblinking and he felt something begin to stir in his stomach. He gave the bride a silent nod of his head in thanks and headed away from the dance floor, never once wavering as he closed the space between Rin and himself.

Sesshomaru could have been cliché and thought that time slowed down and all he could pay attention to was the girl in denim, that she was the only thing that occupied his mind but it was both stupid and completely untrue. If anything it was the exact opposite. He noticed everything that was going on around him, in fact, it was as if it had intensified a hundred fold. He caught sight of two males near her, one with Sandy colored hair-he was yelling at the boy in front of him, the one with shaggy black hair who looked just as angry if note more.

They were fighting and it was probably about adolescent things, but he noticed that whatever conversation the two males held it made Rin uncomfortable. Her eyes no longer held his, they stared down at her feet, a beaten down expression on her face as if she were being chastised by her father for doing something that wasn't approved of. Honestly, she looked out of place and smaller than he remembered, was she eating right? Was she getting enough sleep?

It annoyed him that he felt concerned because he never felt it with other women. Why would he care to be concerned about the others, they were of no consequence to him, but apparently Rin was. Sesshomaru reminded himself that he was going to Rin to confront her, demand answers to his questions and the importance of the situation, but when her eyes trapped him it wasn't as urgent as before.

"S-Sesshomaru," she sounded surprised and he remembered how much he had liked her surprise.

"Come Rin," his eyes brushed over to the two males again noting how their conversation came to an abrupt stop and both of them watched Sesshomaru, one with a smug grin and the other with anger and possibly hatred.

Rin stood and stared at him for a moment and then with a glance to her other male companions, she followed Sesshomaru away from the endless crowd. For sure, Sesshomaru thought that they would have uninvited company and he was surprised when it was just the two of them. The lighting was softer than where they had been, more of an intimate setting and he cursed himself as his body stirred in reaction to his close proximity to Rin. She was uncomfortable, the tense muscles in her shoulder gave her away, yet she appeared more relaxed than she had been not long before.

"Very casual for a wedding aren't we?" It was the first question that slipped from his lips and he couldn't help but smirk when her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.

"I-I have to go to work soon and I don't really own anything nicer than this," she told him biting on her lower lip.

The action teased him, tortured him even more so than the memory of her that he horded and his made his mouth instantly dry. There was something about Rin that he could not get around, could not ignore and for a brief second he didn't care if he was at a wedding or not because he wanted her. He had to pull himself together, to keep his thoughts on safe grounds or else he would make another mistake and repeat his last encounter with the woman in front of him and he wasn't sure if that would be a wise decision.

"Been busy?" Small talk was never a good trait of his, not when he preferred silence to idle chatter.

"There never seems to be an end," tears filled her eyes as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Between work and Ah-Un and the vet bill I don't have a moment to myself. I feel so overwhelmed."

"New boyfriend I assume, this Ah-Un?" The thought of Rin having someone else already was not an appealing feeling. The very idea had jealousy snapping it's ugly jaws at his chest and he mentally tried beating it down back into a dark corner to analyze it at a later time.

"No," she snorted wiping away the moisture that slipped down her face. "Ah-Un, they are my dogs. I found them after--well after my birthday and I couldn't let them go. They are the only things I have left that keep me together."

More tears swam in Rin's eyes and his heart clenched painfully in his chest. He wasn't liking this change in him. It was alien, different and not a territory he was used to traveling on. She looked so helpless and lost that he couldn't stop himself from touching her, his hand brushing away the fallen moisture and he found himself caught. Fire erupted along his skin at the touch, traveling over his entire body and it took his breath away. Sesshomaru became ensnared, a prisoner to his desire and he had no choice but to ask for more.

His lips brushed over Rin's with more tenderness than he was feeling, his body molding against hers and when she relented the fire only grew. His heart was pounding in his chest as her finger's pulled him roughly towards her, her instant desire devouring him and he felt his control slipping. Her gasps and hushed moans egged him on, his hands slipping underneath her shirt and feeling the silky smooth skin he had been denying himself. The feelings rampaging in him were stronger than they were the first time he had taken her and he knew now that there was no way he could rid himself of her. Rin was different because it now was him chasing her, she was inadvertently making him work for anything and though she still gave in, she had already caught him in her web of innocence and he still wanted more.

"S-Sesshomaru," very voice had grown more husky, her lightly painted lips bruised and swollen from his less tender kisses. "We-I can't… I h-have to w-w-work later."

He couldn't resist the urge to convince her that what he wanted to give her was more rewarding than work could ever be and her body trembled under his. They wouldn't be staying until the end that was for sure, he had to have more of her than just teasing touches and stolen kisses. Sesshomaru honestly didn't think he could stop himself at this point. He was past the point of no return and he wanted it all because he was a selfish creature at heart.

"Let's go." He nipped at her neck, his fingers sliding underneath her padded bra and he felt her gasp all the way down to his straining desire. "I need you."

"O-oh… S-Sessh- P-please." He grinned against her neck as Rin arched into his touch, she wouldn't refuse him and they both knew it.

E/N: I think we all know how this ends! lol YAYZ! I think it's pointless to tell you who Rin's male companions were, it's way obvious! Oh, how the drama continues. As always, please REVIEW! lol lemme know if you like what I'm doing, or else the zombies will get you.


	8. Chapter 8

** Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, or anything else for that matter.. Okay, so I own some stuff, just not InuYasha... If I did it would probably suck! lol**

_ Been having some serious issues lately and it's been kidnaping my mind away from this story. My sister is going to have surgery in April to remove pre-cancerous cells on her cervix and we're all worried over here, but this too, just wouldn't leave me alone. OH! If you are able to, you should really listen to this song while reading this chapter._

**So Emotional**

_ By Miztikal-Dragon_

_ I breathe you again just to feel you_

_  
Underneath my skin, holding on to_

_  
The sweet escape is always laced with a familiar taste of poison_

_ I tell myself that you're not good for me  
_

_ I wish you well, but desire never leaves  
_

_ I could fight this til the end  
_

_ But maybe I don't want to win_

___"Familiar Taste of Poison"--Halestorm_

** Part Eight**

If there was one thing Rin could honestly say she was not used to, it was waking up in a bed not her own. Despite her initial feelings, that wasn't the weirdest thing, the first was that she was waking up in a bed that didn't belong to her, but also there were a pair of strong arms pinning her in place. It took her only a few seconds for her brain to jump start and when it had she felt warmth spread throughout her entire body.

Her one night stand was beginning to turn into something else entirely; something dangerous for her and she wasn't sure if she could handle it. The idea that what was going on between Sesshomaru and herself was deeper than purely sex was exhilarating. It made her feel powerful to think that she had some kind of desirable power over Sesshomaru, that maybe he could be what she needed was almost like a dream come true. The smile that floated to her lips was large enough to break her face in half as she watched the sleeping man, his head laying on her shoulder.

Sesshomaru's shoulders were wide enough to be slightly masculine and her fingers stroked over the red flesh of his back where her blunted nails abused him. She could feel his muscles twitch underneath her touch making his hand slide up her side and stealing a gasp from her lips. The lust she had been dying from the night before was slowly coming back, her lower region tingling from merely the brush of his hand on her.

She couldn't tell if it was from it being Sesshomaru's touch or from just the touch itself since she had nothing else to compare it by besides one other but her mind refused to acknowledge it. Her body was beginning to yearn for Sesshomaru that was for certain and though she did not mind it in the slightest, she believed it was dangerous grounds for her to be walking. Part of her still whispered that she shouldn't be there, not when Sesshomaru was too perfect for her, too good to be real and that it was best to admire him from afar.

Yet without regard to that part of her, she refused to let to stay away from him. Whether or not she wanted it to, her world was starting to revolve around the silver hair man sleeping so soundly on her. It made a word pop up in her brain which set alarms going off in both warning and in silent horror.

She didn't want to drop the L-bomb, hell, she didn't even want to think that word existed in the same context as Sesshomaru's name, but it was something smoking on the backburner of her mind. It was way too soon to be that emotionally attached to someone; after all, she didn't know him in a way she would eventually would have liked to, didn't know if he liked coffee let alone his favorite color (if he had one). So love was something she was going to ignore for the time being. Okay, so there were tales of 'love at first sight', she was certain for some people it was possible, but she wasn't a fool. Or at least, not much of one.

Sesshomaru sighed heavily in sleep, his naked body relaxing further if it was entirely possible against Rin. She had to admit that seeing this side of Sesshomaru was appealing, it flattered her that he trusted her enough to be vulnerable around her, even if it was purely unintentional. She admired the calm collected man; he was successful, intelligent, and had everything he could possibly want and yet he didn't appear to be arrogant, didn't gloat about himself because he didn't have to. Maybe it was due to his personality, the way he carried himself; however for Sesshomaru no words were needed. Rin knew where she stood with him, no confusion, nor guessing, being around him was so easy, as easy as breathing.

Rin was enjoying the silence comfortably, her curious eyes watching her companion, the sound of his deep-even breathing music to her ears and she was more content at the moment than she had felt in months, possibly years. The feeling was so wonderful that she could have seen herself laying like a lazy cat in bed all day if Sesshomaru let her and it was all destroyed by the shrill screaming ring of her cell phone. The sound jolted her, scaring her and she jumped, her movements jerking Sesshomaru into consciousness.

Narrowed sleep filled clouded amber eyes glared up at Rin, silently demanding she answer the contraption and she whispered an apology as she crawled over Sesshomaru and slid off the side of the bed. She wasted no time snagging the cellular phone, picking up Sesshomaru's discarded shirt and slipping it on as she answered. There was no need for her to check the caller ID to know who was calling, she had known instantly when her phone started shrieking and she could already feel her hackles rising.

"What do you want Kohaku?" She snapped grabbing her discarded underwear off the nightstand and pulling them on.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?!" He was growling at her through the phone and she spared Sesshomaru an apologetic glance as she exited the bedroom, gently closing the door behind herself.

"No I don't," this was going to get ugly fast, like most of her recent conversations she held with Kohaku had. "But I bet you're going to tell me anyway."

Rin could understand Kohaku being upset, he had every reason not to be happy with her choices, not when she had been constantly reminded by Sango how good they used to be together, but enough was enough. Kohaku made his bed when he left and she was going to force him to deal with the consequences. He was the one who gave up, not her and the hell she was going to let him bully her and make her feel bad. She wasn't the one who walked away.

"Don't you talk to me that way Rin!" He was screaming at her by this point and she had to pull the phone away from her ear unless she wanted to go deaf. "You need to get your butt back here right now or else I'll come get you myself!"

"You are in no position to order me to do anything Kohaku!" She hissed fighting the urge to chuck her cell phone at the wall. "You're not my fucking father and you're definitely not my boyfriend! I will come home when I decide I want to come home and no sooner so go fuck yourself!"

She punctuated her point to Kohaku by terminating the scream-off, her clenched knuckles turning white and for a moment she swore her vision bled red. It couldn't have gone any worse, yet she wasn't going to let him verbally abuse her, not when she could help it at least. Counting to ten only worked so much having repeated the process several times over in a falling attempt to calm herself down.

"You two sound close," Sesshomaru's cold voice froze the blood pounding in her veins and she jumped, a cry of surprise wrenching itself from her throat.

"SHIT!" She swore glancing at Sesshomaru from over her shoulder.

There was no surprise that she hadn't heard him leaving the bedroom, she had after all matched Kohaku's screaming with her own; his lean shoulders draped against the doorframe to his bedroom, his beautiful amber eyes watching her intently. All the anger that Kohaku managed to unleash in her evaporated as the man behind her pinned her with a curious, though still serious gaze. She could feel a headache coming on and suddenly tired, she pinched the bridge of her nose in hopes to stave off the pain until a later time.

"We're not, not really anymore," Sesshomaru didn't have to repeat the question for Rin to know that it wasn't rhetorical. He didn't seem the type to like repeating himself and the last thing she wanted was to have anyone else upset with her whether or not they chose to show it. "I just don't understand that boy anymore. He's becoming nothing but a giant pain in my ass."

Rin turned her phone on silent and set it on the decorative table next to her sighing heavily and trying to wish back the tears she felt trying to form. It was times like these she wished she could just blink into non-existence, the drama of it all was suffocating and overwhelming her and she wasn't sure if she could keep up with without losing her mind for good. There were too many repercussions of her actions, too many hurt feelings and toes that were stepped on and she contemplated throwing it all way and living the life of a hermit.

"Can I ask you for a favor?" She sounded defeated, even to herself and debated meeting Sesshomaru's eyes in fear that she couldn't keep her composure.

"One is fine," Sesshomaru wasn't the type to say sure, it would have sounded alien and she bit down on her lower lip.

"Would you mind if I stole some of your warmth, just for a moment?" Her question left her feeling like a child all over again and she wasn't sure how she could laugh it off if he said no. Rin was already taking a chance just voicing it and she didn't want to hope, it took too much out of her when she got crushed.

Sesshomaru had been surprised by Rin's request. He had been positive she would have been asking for a place to crash or a lift home, but not to steal some of his warmth. What warmth was she wanting because he didn't remember giving any to her, not in the romantic kind of way and it confused him. Normally he knew to avoid a rollercoaster-woman when he saw one and Rin was young enough to where he was certain the rollercoaster never stopped to take a break and he had yet to toss her out.

There had to be a more logical explanation besides the sex, that he was one-hundred percent sure on and yet he found himself closing the space between Rin and himself, his hand slipping around her neck and pulling her against his chest. He didn't feel weak or angry at himself for giving into Rin's request, instead he felt strong as the small woman slid her arms around his waist and held him close.

She didn't shed a tear, didn't curse under her breath and he didn't try soothing her. The two of them simply stood there silently, their breathing the only sound in the large room. He was beginning not to mind so much being a little less cold and isolated, though he refused to allow anyone else but the people in the room to ever see the subtle change.

The long black strands of Rin's hair tickled his nose and Sesshomaru refrained from letting a smirk slink onto his face, it felt nice. Rin held onto him for a moment or two longer before slowly pulling away, her eyes watching him with both gratitude and something else he wasn't ready to accept. "Come, get dressed."

"Thank you," it was simple and had so many different meanings, all of which were lost on him as gentle hands glided up his chest, stealing the air from his lungs and sending electric heat to his loins and reminding him that he had forgone clothing during Rin's phone conversation.

"Rin," Sesshomaru was beginning to see a pattern with the girl touching him and he couldn't stop his eyebrow from raising itself as curiosity and lust crept up on him.

Not once yet had she done what he expected her to, it seemed as if she was on a completely different wavelength than the rest of the female population he had come into contact with and it struck him as odd. Grant it, he wasn't complaining and he seriously doubted his ability to even if he had wanted, it was just different than what he was used to. Sesshomaru's control wavered as Rin's hungry lips slanted over his own, her fingers tangling themselves into his long hair and pulling him down to her level.

He had no issues spending the entire afternoon with her if they were to continue going down the path they were on. In fact, he was willing to take it a step further as his hands slid underneath the shirt she borrowed from him and teased her heated flesh. One touch was never enough for him when it concerned the willing girl in front of him and hearing her moan into his lips, gooseflesh raising over her skin and traveling through to his he felt his heart skip a beat.

This game that they were playing was filled with fire waiting to burn them but the desire was something he couldn't ignore on a good day and yet Sesshomaru couldn't find the strength to pull away and put an end to it. There was nothing wondering if he was strong enough to endure whatever Rin innocently teased him with, no thoughts of weakness, those thoughts were annoying gnats that bothered him only when his solitude, his self imposed isolation set in and he wasn't planning on being alone.

This game was set on dangerous territory, one he wasn't sure if he could come out unscathed on and though his old self would have avoided it at all costs he knew now that this feeling pulsing through him was better than anything he had felt before. He didn't care of the risk because he was never the type of man to play it safe, he never shied away from anything and he would see this, whatever it was, to the end whether good or bad.

-----

Rin spared a hesitant glance from the corner of her eyes at the man next to her, his beautiful molten amber eyes focused on the road in front of him. It had been hours since the phone call that stole such a precious moment from her, yet she couldn't complain, not when it had led to such better things. A blush splashed on her cheeks as she remembered how eagerly Sesshomaru had taken her, how quickly he had made her a pile of moaning, begging need and how he had chuckled--yes, chuckled and tortured her until she struggled in vain to breathe.

The Sesshomaru now compared to the one kept behind closed doors was the same man, but different and it make her heart leap thinking that he was allowing her only to see the difference. It was safe to say that she was drawn to him, to his aura, and she wanted to say his power, but not in the way that meant wealth or what he could buy her. She couldn't put her finger on the word, but she would have to look it up later when she got the chance. She also needed to pick up the paper for the classifieds section because a new job would be needed after her stunt at Kagome's and InuYasha's wedding.

That train of thought brought another blush to her face in horror and embarrassment. Everyone she knew would know by now who exactly she had gone "home" with and though she was certain that it wasn't a big deal, there were a select few who would not be happy and she cursed her luck. Her actions were more than likely the reason why Kohaku had called her like some jealous boyfriend and that was a car wreck she wasn't hoping to get stuck in but knew there was no way out of it.

She called Shippo when Sesshomaru told her he would drive her back home, begging her friend that if something happened today she would need a safe house for herself and her boys and though the younger boy whined and complained about Rin's impeccable timing, he wasn't going to refuse her. It had been Shippo after all who was telling her that she needed to get out of that mess of an orphanage or she would be dragged down and she was starting to feel the claws digging into her skin.

Sesshomaru hadn't said a word to her as he drove, his eyes glancing nowhere but the road and Rin had bit her lip as she spoke to Shippo. She didn't want to ask Sesshomaru for something this huge, not when they weren't even in a relationship of any kind. She didn't want to add baggage to her already heavy load and expect Sesshomaru to help her carry it. The worst was knowing that she wanted to lean on him, wanted him to help her, but she'd never ask it, not when it would be better if Sesshomaru was given his space.

A big part of her didn't want to go back to the orphanage where she grew up because she'd be forced to give up something she wasn't ready to give. She was not ready to be completely on her own and living in the real world like an adult, not when she still wanted to be a child and she stole those feelings and locked them deep inside her heart. There was no longer any room to play the child. She had made her choices and she was going to take responsibility for them, no matter how much she wanted things to stay the same. Rin had some growing up to do and she was going to grin and bare it to the best of her ability.

The minute he pulled up to the large building, the engine shutting off he knew that something was brewing. Every muscle in Rin's body stiffer Ned and her fingers dug into the denim of her skirt, her teeth worrying on her lips bad enough to draw blood and he beat down the urge to reach over and pull those lips against his. There was a time and a place for such things and it was not inside his car out in the open. Rin's heavy sigh leant him the strength he didn't know had fled him and he let a smile slip on his face for a brief moment before fading as she gathered herself and opened the passenger door.

She was a stubborn creature and he took it as sign that she was not going to back down from whatever was ahead and it made the respect he was feeling swell larger than before. He didn't follow her inside the gated yard, choosing to lean against his expensive vehicle and wait it out. Rin was a big girl, she could do things by herself; albeit he would be standing by just incase he did not like the outcome. Then and only then, he would step in and take charge.

Sesshomaru was surprised that he saw the enormous beasts charging Rin before he heard them, their yaps and barks opposite from the sped which they raced toward the small woman. They were like flying shadows, powerfully lean and long legs and he thought it funny how odd it looked as they slowed down as Rin kneels and opened her arms, her laughter reaching his ears. Two massive dogs, beautiful animals, he thought to himself watching them roll on the ground before knocking Rin over. He could see how easily it would be with them around to get overwhelmed, but no matter how large the animal was it could be trained.

Her laughter, which Sesshomaru decided he liked was short lived as a person exited the orphanage doors. It took several glances to recognize the shorter male, his shaggy black hair thrown into a high ponytail as the boy who glared at him during the InuYasha's wedding and the need to laugh was tempting.

The boy was already treading in shark infested waters as he stalked towards Rin, his lean frame towering over the her and the two dogs--Ah-Un, if he recalled correctly growled possessively. He should have known better and when Rin stood Sesshomaru immediately knew there would be a fight.

"Ah-Un gate!" Rin pointed to Sesshomaru and though they were still growing and yapping at the boy in warning they obeyed and slowly walked away, their large ears alert and their legs begging for the chance to turn and attack.

"Where have you been?!" Kohaku growled at Rin, his normally happy and carefree eyes were narrowed and furious and she could already feel her anger rising to compete with the boy in front of her. "You were supposed to be here hours ago!"

"Oh stuff it Kohaku," she spat crossing her arms over her chest defiantly. "I told you I would come back when I decided to, not when you order me to."

"I can't believe you're doing this to get back at me!"

His words were like a slap in the face and she had to restart her brain several times over to fully understand him. Was Kohaku really that stupid, she asked herself feeling her anger boiling her blood and she knew instantly she was more dangerous to Kohaku than Ah-Un could ever be. Rin wanted to hurt Kohaku, hurt him with her fists clenched at her sides, strangle the life out of him and before she killed him she wanted to emotionally crush him so he could never recover. He had a way of filling her with a murderous rage and there would be no way to keep the control under shackles if he kept running his mouth. She would not hold back this time.

"This has nothing to do with you Kohaku," he couldn't loom over her due to their similar heights but he sure as hell tried to make her cower. "You're only making this worse than it has to be."

"What are you saying?" Some of his anger flickered away and Rin rolled her eyes brushing passed Kohaku. She needed to get some of her things together because it was apparent she couldn't stay any longer.

"I'm leaving," she told him bluntly, trying to impersonate Sesshomaru's icy glare and serving it to Kohaku. "Shippo is letting me crash at his place until I find my own."

"NO!" Kohaku lunged for her, his hands grabbing her arms and practically dragging her back to him. She heard the growls from Ah-Un escalate and the gate door opening, Sesshomaru was going to intervene. "You're not going anywhere!"

"Let go," snarled daring Kohaku to continue on like some spoiled child. "I do not want to repeat myself."

Kohaku forced Rin to turn and face him and though his anger was still apparent, his eyes were begging her to stop. "I won't let you be some stupid whore!"

"Let go," Rin was giving Kohaku his final warning and if he chose not to heed it she could not be held responsible for her actions. "Now Kohaku."

"No," he pleaded, his fingers digging into her arms bruising her. "You belong with me!"

In an instant everything seemed to explode in front of Rin and Sesshomaru didn't have the chance to reach them before chaos broke free. Rin hated Kohaku then, hated him so much that she screamed it at the top of her lungs as she shoved him away from her. He stumbled, barely catching his balance and Rin pushed him again before she snapped, her body trembling with rage as her arm swung at the surprised boy in front of her.

The snap of her fist hitting Kohaku's face wasn't even enough to bring her back to the severity of the situation, his cry of pain as he crumbled to the ground, blood pouring from the hands cupping his nose. Rin panted for air as she stood over Kohaku, her fist still poised for another attack, her mind racing with thoughts, some begging to continue to punish Kohaku, others screaming at her to stop, and when the blood stopped rushing in her ears she could hear the yapping calls of Ah-Un at her side.

"Are you fucking crazy?!"

"Next time you touch me I'll break more than your nose." She spat before turning her back on Kohaku and heading to the spot between the gate and the bleeding boy where Sesshomaru stood, one eyebrow raised curiously and his eyes clouded with emotion.

No words were said, Sesshomaru merely nodded heading back towards his vehicle and opening the back door for Ah-Un to climb inside and repeating the same for Rin. She gave him a miserable smile as she lowered herself in, her hand throbbing as she buckled herself into the passenger seat. She wanted to laugh, wanted to cry and scream and when Sesshomaru started the car, she leaned her head back resting it on the leather headrest trying to calm her thundering heart.

"Home?" He asked curiously, his tone seeming almost cheerful or proud, she couldn't tell which one but it was odd.

"Can you take me to the hospital?" She asked feeling small and suddenly empty. "I think Kohaku's face broke my wrist."

Rin was certain that Sesshomaru would have laughed at her comment had he not spared a glance at the said appendage. It would have been funny hadn't it been true.

_** E/N:**_ _Shameless plug alert: If you like this story, then go read "Secrets of the Snow", I'm unsure whether or not I should continue that story and would love to know your opinions. I'm surprised with how quickly this story is progressing so YAY ME! lol I'll put more up as I complete it. Thanks, and as always PLEASE REVIEW!_


	9. Chapter 9

_** Disclaimer: I sadly don't own anything. Not even my sanity.**_

_** This chapter is a little on the short side, but meh it works.**_

_** So Emotional**_

_** By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**-Part Nine-**_

Rin had spent the entire day in the emergency room waiting to be seen by a doctor, the entire day waiting in silence for someone to tell her something she already knew. Her wrist was broken. In all honesty, the wait had not been a bad one, not when she considered everything in whole. Sesshomaru was silent during the drive to the hospital, his amber eyes staying focused on the road and she appreciated the silence. He had dropped her off at the entrance under the pretense of taking Ah-Un to Shippo's place until she was finished and she rewarded the stoic man with a chaste kiss before entering the enormous building.

She waited patiently watching the silent television in the far corner until her name was called and then she followed the friendly male nurse into a room and waited for a free doctor to take X-rays and eventually prepare her wrist for the dark blue paris plaster. The doctors and nurses were friendly, like always, some recognizing her and giving her a sympathetic look when she sheepishly showed them her latest disaster. She had been hoping now that she had become an adult, the normal hospital visits would lessen; however, nothing ever seemed to work out the way she wanted them to.

As she waited patiently for the discharge paperwork, Rin probed her mind trying to think back on how things had gotten so rough between her and Kohaku's relationship, how things had come to this point and she sighed heavily. If she wanted to be honest with herself (and she did), it was Sesshomaru coming into her life that had changed everything. She was drawn to him, like a month to the flames and the feelings she had felt for Kohaku weren't as strong as the ones pulling her to Sesshomaru and though she had tried distancing herself from the older, amber eyed man, somehow she wound up closer to him than she had been before.

She told herself she wasn't fickle because she did not like thinking that her desires were wishy-washy and she could be easily swayed, but whatever it was that was pulling at her heartstrings refused to be denied and she wanted this. The ringing of her cellular phone stopped her deep thought and digging the small device from her pocket she smiled seeing Sesshomaru's number flash on the screen.

"Hey there," she said coolly, her lips curving into a smile.

"How much longer will you be?" He sounded curious and relaxed and it warmed her heart a little.

"I don't know," the male nurse slipped into the room with a clip board in his hand, his smile large like a one-hundred watt light bulb. "I just have to finish filing out the discharge paperwork, why what's up?"

"I'll be waiting for you in the parking lot," the coldness usually in his tone was disappearing slowly and it made the butterflies flutter almost violently in her stomach.

"Okay," she told him. "I'll see you in a few minutes then."

Sesshomaru said his goodbye and hung up and Rin slipped her phone back into her pocket before attacking the paperwork on the clipboard. She would have to find another job, she mentally told herself ignoring the nurse as he tried to strike up a casual conversation with her. There was just too much going on for her to try and pretend that she was interested in the man in front of her and as quickly as she could she filled out the necessary paperwork and handed back the clipboard and grabbed her purse and headed out.

Despite wanting to, Rin did not run or jog down the halls, it would have been her luck to trip and fall, possibly breaking or spraining something else and that was the last thing that she wanted to do at the moment. Like Sesshomaru had told her he would be, his car was parked close to the entrance, he had tossed his hair into a low pony tail, his lean body leaning against the driver side door with his arms crossed loosely over his chest.

Rin couldn't help but smile widely as Sesshomaru's molten amber eyes found her and called to her, the depths of those orbs almost hypnotizing her with the emotions swirling in them and when she reached his side, she felt right. Pushing herself onto tiptoes she pressed herself into his chest, her undamaged hand slipping around his neck and pulling his head down for a kiss. Immediately his large hands slid over her hips and he took control, pulling her between his legs as he deepened their kiss, leaving her completely breathless when he finally pulled away.

"Mmm," Rin sighed, her fingers sliding down his chest over his shirt and her mind falling into the gutter. "May I have another?"

Her voice had turned husky and she felt Sesshomaru shiver underneath her fingertips as she drew his lips into another kiss, this one more hungry and consuming than the one before. It didn't last as long as Sesshomaru pulled away again, his lips slightly kiss bruised and swollen and it did things to Rin, naughty things and she bit down on her lip as she tried to behave and let Sesshomaru guide her into the passenger's seat. There would be more time for that later she told herself hearing the seatbelt click into place and the engine roar to life.

Rin had been confused at first when Sesshomaru did not go to Shippo's home like she assumed they would and instead she found herself driven to a nice quiet neighborhood with quaint houses that belonged inside a Better Homes and Garden Magazine. It was a neighborhood she had almost dreamt about living in one day, the white picket fence, screaming children as they played tag in the front yard and maybe even the comforts of sitting in front of a fire place with the man who would marry her, just leaning against each other. To her it even felt silly because now when she imagine it all she could see was Sesshomaru sitting next to her and that was a ridiculous pipe dream.

Sesshomaru wasn't the type of man who did the family thing, didn't look like the kind of person who would have a big home with a wife and two-point-five children and a dog, he was too intangible, yet something in her couldn't think of anyone else would could fill that spot for her now. Sesshomaru looked uncomfortable as he shut the car off in front of a smaller brick house, the green vines growing up the side and giving it a homey perfect look. She wondered where they were and she climbed out of the car and followed Sesshomaru, slipping her hand into his and linking her fingers with his.

"Who lives here?" She asked as Sesshomaru opened the wooden gate and ushered her in first.

"Next week," his voice was monotone as he turned her hand over and placed a set of keys on her palm "You will."

E/N: LOL! This chapter was a little OOC, maybe, but I like this direction. SADLY this story is almost over. I'm only thinking maybe two chapters (Epilogue included), HOWEVER, I'm already working on the next story, which will be called "What's Love Got to do With it" lol I'm already anxious to begin it! Please review and let me know what you think!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **_Nope, don't own anything, don't make money off of this. I might have gone crazy, but at least I know that this disclaimer is true..._** sigh**

_**-Part Ten-**_

They were surrounded in a field of boxes, mountains upon mountains of boxes, hell, an entire ocean of boxes in various stages; some empty and tilted on their sides, other's with their flaps open, exposing packing peanuts and bubble wrap, and the one's piled still unopened on top of each other. All of the windows in the small, yet quaint four bedroom brick house were wide open, allowing in crisp fresh air and sunlight and grabbing the box cutter, Rin pried open her next assignment, the kitchen.

Of all the things that could have happened to her, this wasn't something she could have ever imagined happening. Things were moving fast, a little quicker than anyone would have liked, but no one's opinion mattered except hers and Sesshomaru's. It was _their_ decision, she told herself carefully lifting a glass plate out of the box and placing it onto the countertop. She liked the way it sounded in her head, theirs. Most of the belongings were Sesshomaru's, how could they not be, all Rin had to her name was a dresser full of clothing, two dogs, her cell phone and her heart and they all fit perfectly inside her new home.

That was the most unbelievable part of everything-her new home-correction, their new home, and whatever wild hair crawled up Sesshomaru's, ahem, well you know-she was grateful for it. He had given her a spare set of the keys and opened a door of possibilities that night and gave her a choice, though for her it hadn't been a hard one to make. And now, here she was, unpacking their home, placing things where she thought they should go and Sesshomaru let her have all the reigns. His explanation was too many things were his and not enough of her, so she was in charge or making it a place she would want to call home (without going overboard of course) and Rin had thanked him long and hard, and very enthusiastically.

Her face flushed remembering the way he had moaned as she teased him, his silent gasp for breath urging her further, the way her name fell from his lips as he silently begged for an end, she had never felt more in control. There had been times of passion shared between the two of them, burning, consuming, raw passion, yet that night had been something neither of them had been expecting. Of course, now it was a little nerve wracking, a little unbelievable what she had been allowed to do, but it was a reminder of how flexible Sesshomaru was around her.

He had many sides, many different faces and she was beginning to learn which ones meant what and how to react to them and for the most part she had to admit it was self explanatory. Sesshomaru did not often go through a range of emotions, he was not some roller coaster, but she did wonder what was boiling down at the center of him. Most of the time she watched his eyes, the way his jaw clenched and the almost invisible vein in his neck, they were her clues. She would have him figured out, not soon, but eventually and that was an adventure she was looking forward to. She was certain she would spend all of her best years with Sesshomaru at her side.

"Hey Rin!" Excitedly loud yaps and barks brought Rin from the medium sized kitchen and out the front door. Ah-Un were practically hanging over the fence, their large paws folding over as they chattered, their large tongues reaching out for the red-hair boy waving to her from the sidewalk.

"You're late Shippo," she laughed as Shippo jumped over the hip high fence, a small black bag held in his free hand. "You said you'd be here by four-thirty."

"I got tied up," replied pulling her into a friendly hug. "But I'm all yours now, do with me as you please."

His eyebrows waggled suggestively and Rin laughed hard and she shook her head while Shippo pulled out a hand held video camera and pointed it at her, his quick explanation that her first move was documentary worthy. Leave it to Shippo, she mentally sighed as she led him inside her home and giving him a small tour, a large smile planted on her face. She was embarrassed that she was being recorded; however, the thought that someday she would look back on this as a fond memory and watch it was more appealing.

Working together they were able to finish unpacking the kitchen, part of the living room and the bathrooms (grant it, the entire time the digital camera was glued to Shippo's left hand and it made unpacking a little difficult) in a matter of two hours. Rin had already set up the bedroom earlier that morning, the movers putting the large furniture where she directed, though not liking it one bit when she changed her mind, several different times. She couldn't help herself though, she wanted everything to look perfect, be perfect and receive Sesshomaru's approval. She also knew that it wouldn't have mattered to him, small things like this didn't seem to phase him like she would have thought and with that comforting knowledge, the stress of everything merely slipped away.

On any other day, any other occasion she would have invited Shippo to eat dinner, in fact she would have been demanding it, yet this was one time that she couldn't. She had already made dinner plans that night, and though Sesshomaru did not share her enthusiasm for it, the two of them were going over to InuYasha and Kagome's place. Rin was certain that neither of them were expecting Sesshomaru to agree or else they wouldn't have been as quick as to extend the invitation, but they had offered and she acquiesced.

A part of her wanted to prove to anyone and everyone that she was worth Sesshomaru's attention, that she was not something fleeting and though childish it seemed at first, she wondered half heartedly if she was only trying to prove it to herself. Flushing such thoughts from her mind, she picked up the crumbled trash strewn across the wood floors, gathering a pile in her bent arm before going to Shippo, who held a large black trash bag in one hand and his still recording camera in the other.

"So what's the real deal with the camera?" She said off handedly as Ah-Un crossed her path, two wet noses pressing into her hands until she gave in and petted them.

"Happiness gauge?" There was something off in his voice as he watched her and Rin glanced at him curiously for a moment, her eyebrow raising up into well curved arch.

"A happiness gauge?" Shippo's shoulders were suddenly tense and it left the impression that he was hiding behind his digital camera, not that she could understand why. "Quit pulling my leg, Shippo. What is it really for?"

"Sheesh woman!" Shippo chuckled nervously, the small camera bouncing with his forced laughter. "It's your first home movie, it doesn't have to have a reason exist."

His words trapped her in a cocoon of warmth and his heart skipped a beat as her smiled widened and she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close. She had never had a real home before and she was tickled pink that Shippo was there to experience it with her. His body was tense and hard against her, almost cautious of her and she ignored it as she held onto him savoring his unintentional gift.

"Thank you Shippo," she said earnestly squeezing the boy in her arms tighter, the lens of the camera staring down at them catching her display of affection for the younger boy.

"Rin," he groaned in defeat. "What if Sesshomaru comes home and sees you wrapped around me like this? I bet he's the jealous types, won't he be upset?"

"No," a deeper baritone voice echoed Rin's reply and Shippo thought for a moment he had signed his death sentence like some ignorant fool.

Rin's squeal jerked him from the intimidating gaze of amber staring down at Shippo from the front door, long silver hair swept back into a low pony tail. The girl immediately release him in favor of pouncing onto the imposing man, the loud barks and yips of Ah-Un drowning out the thunderous beating of his heart. His hands followed the movement, the camera stuck on Rin as she pulled Sesshomaru down to her lips, her small fingers curled into his crisp shirt and wrinkling it.

Shippo had to admit it, Rin looked happier than he had ever known her to be and it made him feel better knowing she would be taken care of. As Rin's and Sesshomaru's kiss grew deeper Shippo could feel the awkwardness creeping into his skin, the way Sesshomaru's hand slipped over Rin's hip, pulling her close and her soft laughter almost pained him and unsure of what to do next, Shippo turned to the obvious.

"Um, yeah well I think this is my cue to head out." He said clearing his throat out obnoxiously.

Rin laughed, her cheeks flushing deep red as she pulled away from Sesshomaru's embrace, the electronic camera still stalking her every move. Shippo's cheeks were red as well, and her laugh went a little higher as she softly punched Sesshomaru's arm for embarrassing her.

"I'll walk you out," she replied as Sesshomaru headed towards the kitchen, Ah-Un trailing after him expectantly.

Silence followed them as they closed the front gate behind them and Shippo promised Rin he would burn her first home movie onto a disk and bring it over to her when he could. Everything was turning out better than she expected and she could stop herself from forcing Shippo into another bone breaking hug, his nervous laughter stinging her ears again, but this time she ignored it.

"Have fun at InuYasha and Kagome's later," Shippo told her pressing a kiss to her forehead, his cheeks growing darker, his smile lopsided and quivering.

"I will," she had the urge to hug him again and make him spill whatever was eating at him, yet she didn't as she watched him walk towards his scooter.

She didn't let Shippo's odd behavior bother her, not with how happy she was feeling inside. Watching his scooter disappear from her gaze, she practically skipped back into her new home, curiously wondering where Sesshomaru was. She found him lounging against the kitchen counter, Ah-Un laying uninterested on the linoleum, their heads on their paws and Rin felt a stab of jealously.

"How do you get them to do that for you?" She questioned, her lips set into the makings of a pout that had Sesshomaru's chuckling softly.

"Practice," he told her cooly, his amber eyes following her movements as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Jealous boyfriend?"

Rin's eyebrows furrowed in thought as she closed the space between them before a Cheshire grin spilled onto her face. She trapped him against the counter with her hands, his gaze darkening as she lifted herself onto her tip-toes and slanted her mouth over his slyly.

"I don't know, were you jealous Sesshomaru?"

"In your dreams," he scoffed and it ripped laughter from her throat before he silenced with it a demanding kiss, bending her to his will instantly. She had no problem relinquishing all of her control to him as he pulled her under a wave of pleasure, her body shuddering as he parted her lips and tasted her.

His ministrations had her momentarily forgetting about their dinner plans and she had to fight against the urge to call and cancel so she could christen their bed on their first night in the new house. Rin decided then that Sesshomaru could prove to be a bad influence to her, her undoing and stubbornly pulling away, she assured him there would be time later for what he was planning. Only, she didn't let him in on the plans she was letting circle around her head. There would be more 'thank you's if she had her way and even maybe, if she was lucky, a encore of the night a week before.

-The end-

E/N: I'm in the makings of the next story for Rin and Sesshomaru for this. I'm not sure what the title is yet.. I've been playing with a couple, but I'm hoping to have the first couple of chapters done here soon so you can start reading it. lol I hope everyone has enjoyed this story! Thank you for all the reviews, and alerts, they really are wonderful!

Until next time!


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